Someone Wake Me Up
by ani.tenshi
Summary: Heartbroken after her break-up with Sasuke, Sakura expresses her emotions through a song. She then leaves on a promotional tour for her first album. When she comes back she is a changed person, but have her feelings for Sasuke changed as well?
1. Chapter 1: The Comeback

**A/N: **The song used in this chapter is _"Someone Wake Me Up"_ by _The Veronicas_.

A special thanks goes to my beta reader Mojo-Jojo13! Without her this chapter would've sounded a lot worse.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or the song in this chapter. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**1**__**st**__** Chapter:**_ _The Comeback_

In front of the Uzumaki mansion, a spiky green 'Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera' pulled to a stop with an ear-splitting brake. Right after, a black 'Ferrari 458 Italia' followed, creating the same screech on the asphalt. The slamming of two car doors was heard as two teenagers with the same battling fire blazing in their eyes walked toward each other.

The first one that exited his car was Naruto Uzumaki, a blonde teenager who was known for having tremendous energy. His appearance suited his character; his hair was sunny blonde and his bright blue eyes only served to accentuate his radiance. The whiskers on both of his cheeks fitted him well, but made people wonder where he got them in the first place. The truth was that they were birth marks, which Naruto came to like in time because they were something that made him different and unique. Goofing around was like a second nature to him, for he never ceased to openly display his unfaltering high spirit. However, his best trait was that he was an especially great friend to all of his precious people. Anyone that ever had the chance to get to know him came to like him, mostly because he was an incredibly good person.

Sasuke Uchiha, on the other hand, was quite the opposite on the most part. His hair was black with a blue tint in it, which clashed with his fair skin complexion and that made him look even more astonishing. His eyes were very inviting with their deep black color. If someone described him as particularly handsome, that would have been an understatement. Every girl that had the chance to cast even a single glance at him fell in love in an instant, all because of his looks, which served to only bother him. He always seemed to have a serious expression plastered on his face that made men have second thoughts about approaching him, while the girls even more in love with him. It wasn't surprising at all since it was a well known quality in the Uchiha family. Nevertheless, he had his moments and maybe that was why Naruto considered him his best friend. When it came to friendship, you could say that he had many friends — if you counted the whole gang, — but Naruto was the only one he considered a close friend. There was a reason for that small fact and it was because he never allowed people to get near him, with a few exceptions. When it was a matter of question on how acceptable was for him to let someone in, Sakura Haruno was another exception on his list.

"Haha, I won teme! Who's the dead-last now?" the blonde loudmouth shouted, while walking toward the onyx haired one. When in front of one another, they scowled in challenge. The rivalry that sparked between them was plainly obvious. Their eyes held the same battling stare, an action that spoke volumes for the sort of relationship they shared.

Sasuke intensified the frown and spoke through clenched teeth, "Dream on, dobe, I let you win this time. Your little green bug can't do shit against my new Ferrari; my beast will eat your little green bug anytime, anywhere!"

"Is that a challenge, teme?" Naruto said, keeping the same fierce facial expression. He was getting closer to Sasuke and stood with some sort of a confronting stance. They were always the sort of friends who would compete, but still the type that would do anything for each other.

"Call it whatever you like," snapped Sasuke, and started moving even closer. Being the tallest, he towered slightly over Naruto, while casting a ferocious glare that would make any man piss his pants. However, Naruto stood his ground.

"OK, it's a deal then, pick the time and place and I'm there. You'll eat your own words!" Naruto shouted in Sasuke's face, right before he glanced disrespectfully in the direction of the black Ferrari.

"I don't think so, dead-last, hmph," Sasuke replied smirking, while throwing the same disrespectful sideways glance, but with much more spiteful passion, at Naruto and his car. These sort of mocking exchanges were always part of their disputes on who was better than the other.

"TEME!" A vicious glare was present in Naruto's eyes.

"DOBE!" Sasuke did not back down, not even a little bit. The famous Uchiha Sasuke Death Glare was the response. The culmination was nearing for those two; the tension was lingering around them. Whenever they were doing this it always ended the same way. Neither actually won, but in their minds there was always a winner. It was just the thing that made their friendship even stronger.

Soon, a servant interrupted their silent glare battle.

"Uzumaki-san, Uchiha-san," the servant called bowing politely in front of the two that were still engaged in their own world of competition. "Should I take the cars to the garage?" he asked with a voice full of politeness and respectfulness.

Finally, Naruto averted his attention towards the servant, which Sasuke took as a clear sign of giving up and smirked in triumph. It was some sort of an unwritten rule that the one who backs away first would lose their _game_. "Hiro, I already told you to drop the honorific! It makes me feel old, and, stop bowing!" Naruto stated with some sort of a commanding tone. "Yes, you may take the cars to the garage," he added as nonchalantly as possible for him.

"Yes, Uzumaki-san," the servant spoke in response and bowed, yet again.

"Some things will never change…" Naruto mumbled under his breath, with a bit of exasperation present in his features. The previous event was completely out of his mind now. However, it was settled that they would continue the _competition_ somewhere else. "Come on, teme, let's go!" Walking toward the huge front door he was followed by Sasuke who had a smirk on his face. The raven-haired teenager seemed to be preoccupied with thoughts about the race and plans for victory. He enjoyed the moments of contest he had with Naruto, for many reasons.

"Sometimes I hate being rich. Stupid servants, make me feel old!" Naruto continued with his ramblings. For once, Sasuke was grateful that Naruto was able to speak for the both of them, even if it made him become annoyed most of the time.

"Hn, it irks me too," Sasuke spoke with irritation in his voice and a scowl present on his face, brought by the many things that made him hate being rich. '_Well, I guess the dobe is right sometimes._'

They entered Naruto's room, and after dumping all the shopping bags filled with junk stuff — the blonde tends to spend money on useless things — Naruto took a small bag and walked towards the corner in the spacious room filled with technological items. Naruto jumped up and down in front of his CD player, while holding a shiny little CD box.

"Dobe, what are you doing? What got you to act like a fool?" Sasuke asked with a confused face, while sitting on the leather couch. He knew that his best friend acted like this over a bowl of ramen, but this new development was certainly surprising for him.

"Oh, you'll see!" Naruto placed the CD in, with a huge smile on his face.

'_I can't wait to see what he's so jumpy about. It must be one of those shitty hip-hop songs, again,_' Sasuke smiled internally, but became frozen when the music blasted throughout the whole room. Naruto began dancing like a crazy person, but that part was unnoticed by the shocked Sasuke. His stomach began doing back flips, while his brain totally shut down, and his facial features were covered with an inexplicable frustration.

Naruto started to sing — more like shouting; poor boy, he's totally tone deaf — the lyrics, while punching a fist in the air and tilting his head towards the ceiling with pure excitement. However, Sasuke's attention was completely fixed towards the voice singing the song and the music that was consuming his mind.

_We got the same friends  
We gonna have to see each other eventually  
So won't you tell me how we're gonna deal with that  
(how we're gonna deal with that, how we're gonna deal with that)  
My CD's are at your place  
And you know I'm gonna have to pick 'em up  
So won't you tell me how we're gonna deal with that  
(how we're gonna deal with that, how we're gonna deal with that)  
_

'_Why did she have to write this stupid song? I hate it!_' Sasuke thought to himself, as his mind was bombarded with images of Sakura's smiling face. He couldn't seem to get it out of his mind, while her music was playing. '_Did she write it about us?"_ he asked himself without even thinking, but was very fast to make himself realize where his thoughts led him._ "Whoa, where did that come from, Uchiha! US! What the hell! We're not together anymore, which is what you wanted! There's no more _us_!_' His mind was showered with thousands of different images of him and Sakura. He couldn't stop them from coming and it overwhelmed him with feelings that flamed his whole being.

_Even though it was mutual, it still kills inside  
'Cause for so long, how I've been defined_

_It feels just like I'm going crazy_  
_I guess that this is breaking up_  
_And now not even you can save me_  
_Will someone wake me up?_  
_(Someone wake me up)_  
_Never thought that we'd go under_  
_I guess we won't be making up_  
_And if this is a dream I wonder,_  
_Could someone wake me up?_  
_(Someone wake me up)_

_I still have your old shirt_  
_You know the one I said I'd thrown away?_  
_I put it on when I went to bed last night_  
_(I went to bed last night, I went to bed last night)_  
_Baby, is this where our story ends_  
_When I turn out the light_  
_Fantasy and reality fight_

'_No, she couldn't have written it about our break up, that would mean that she still has feelings for me… I mean, does she? No, it can't be! She's always so happy when I see her on TV! Even if she still felt something for me, then she would be sad…_' In that case, Sasuke realized that these thoughts made his insides suddenly feel cold. '_Why do I feel this way? Why do I want her to be sad and feel the same way? OK, stop it, Uchiha, pull yourself together! She means nothing to you!_' However, his short-lived determination was wavered when he listened to her voice piercing his eardrums like inescapable needles.

_It feels just like I'm going crazy  
I guess that this is breaking up  
And now not even you can save me  
Will someone wake me up?  
(Someone wake me up)  
Never thought that we'd go under  
I guess we won't be making up  
And if this is a dream I wonder,  
Could someone wake me up?  
(Someone wake me up)  
_

His thoughts were burning his mind, which kept him from maintaining his cool. '_Why do I feel this pain in my chest? I can't possibly have any sort of feelings for her! That is the reason I wanted us apart, so I could get her out of my mind! Why, does she still make me feel this way?_'

_Someone wake me up  
_

Sasuke soon began to get even more aggravated. '_Stupid annoying Sakura!_' with a fuming expression on his face and pure newfound resolve in his eyes, he stood up.

_Even though it's over now, it still kills inside  
'Cause for so long you have been my life  
_

"Dobe, turn it off!" Sasuke screamed at Naruto, while clenching his fists in absolute fury.

_(Someone wake me up, someone wake me up)  
_

Naruto, who was blown away by Sasuke's behaviour, stopped his joyful singing. "Why should I, teme?" he asked with confusion and slight annoyance. He felt so good while singing and dancing to Sakura's song that Sasuke just had to go and stop him.

_It feels just like I'm going crazy  
I guess that this is breaking up_

"DOBE! Turn. It. Off. Or else," Sasuke yelled at the top of his lungs, while towering over Naruto in an attempt to intimidate him.

_And now not even you can save me  
Will someone wake me up?  
(Someone wake me up)_

Naruto couldn't take it anymore and shouted with the same intensity, "Why are you so grumpy? It's Sakura-chan's biggest hit; she has a wonderful voice! I don't see a reason to turn it off, TEME!"

"Hn." Sasuke turned his head to the side and refused to look at Naruto because the words obviously hit the spot. He intentionally denied Naruto's words. The anger of the now stoic looking Sasuke subsided, but not for the reasons Naruto hoped.

_Never thought that we'd go under  
I guess we won't be making up_

"Why are you like this? You act as if you hate her. Every time she's mentioned, or we're watching some of her videos, you act like this. You're even worse when her song is playing!" Naruto loudly said getting irritated by the minute, which was pretty much obvious by his expression. He was never a person that kept his thoughts or feelings to himself.

"…" Sasuke ignored Naruto's words and stood there, looking as impassive as ever, but in reality he was annoyed by the feelings evoked by the song that was still playing. The melody, the words, and especially the voice were clouding his mind.

"Say something, you idiot! You two broke up, just like _you_ wanted! Why do you have to act like you hate her?" There was some sort of pain on Naruto's face, despite his confusion and irritation. His friends were important for him and when they were not happy, he too couldn't be happy. That much was obvious by what he witnessed just now. The one in front of him was not at his highest spirits at the moment, and the one not present would be deeply hurt by this sort of reaction.

_And if this is a dream I wonder,  
Could someone wake me up?  
(Someone wake me up)  
_

"Whatever, I'm outta here!" Sasuke swiftly said before storming toward the door with a huge rage pointed to no one in particular. It always happened this way; he would run away from his own feelings as fast as he could.

_oh, baby you were my first time  
I will always keep you inside_

"But, teme…" Naruto, who was totally blown off by the behaviour of his best friend, couldn't seem to find the strength to move and stop Sasuke from leaving.

_(Someone wake me up, someone wake me up)  
Someone wake me up_

"Later, dobe!" and with that the door was slammed shut and Naruto was left alone with his own aching thoughts. Why painful you may ask? Well, because, he felt sorry for his two friends that were once a happy couple and now that they were apart, Sasuke was back to being a cold hearted bastard.

_(Someone wake me up, someone wake me up)  
Someone wake me up_

'_He's so stupid. I don't get it, they were the perfect couple. Why did they even break up? I wonder what will happen tomorrow when they see each other for the first time after the break up… nothing bad, I hope!_' Naruto turned the CD player off and sunk into the couch with a thoughtful scowl on his face.

* * *

Sakura Haruno was a teenage pop sensation, but she never used her fame as a benefit or as a bragging material. If anything, she was still the same person with a few adjustments to her appearance. Nowadays, she was always dressed by the latest fashion and always looked astonishing with her hair and make-up in perfect order. The natural look was her forte, so she stubbornly refused to use excessive make-up. She had natural beauty and her pink hair was an added bonus to her stunning appearance. Her bright jade eyes made her appearance even more astounding. Her beauty was not the only reason why people loved her. Her songs, that were written by her, her talent and her wonderful voice is what brought her the sudden popularity. The promotional tour that lasted for nearly four months was pronounced to be a complete success and she couldn't be any happier with the way her singing career progressed.

At the moment she was seated in a huge rented limo, thinking about all her friends and especially about a certain teenager with deep black eyes that brought forth some unpleasant feelings for her. Ever since she left Tokyo, every time thoughts about _him_ consumed her mind she felt the same painful sting in her chest. '_I wonder what he thinks about my songs… if he actually thinks about me at all. Hmph, like that's even possible. He wanted to break up with me, so there must be a huge reason behind it. Maybe it's another girl._' At this thought, a single tear fell down her smooth cheek. '_I can't believe that I still feel hurt inside. Why does it affect me so much?_' Sakura wiped the tear away, but the sadness was still present in her jade eyes.

'_**Because you love him, fool!**_**' **her Inner decided to show up, but despite the not so nice words the same feelings were consuming her too.

'_I don't love him! I'm over him, and, you are the fool!_' Sakura shouted at her inner self and picked up her cell, so her inner and those thoughts that made her feel hurt, could go back to the furthest corners of her mind. She dialled a familiar number and waited its owner to pick up, all the while trying to calm down and avoid the emerging of a shaky voice that would be inevitable after all those emotions resurfaced.

"SAKURAAAA! How are you?" Ino practically shouted in greeting as if she were in a football match.

Sakura rolled her eyes when her best friend answered the phone. '_As expected… it is Ino-pig, after all,_' she thought in affection, before speaking, "Hey, Ino, I'm good. I'm heading towards the airport and wanted to hear your voice before the flight. I miss talking with you daily."

"That's good! I miss you too and I'm so excited that you're coming back, I mean, finally!" Ino spoke the last words with some sort of annoyance, obviously not directed at the pink haired girl.

"Yeah… ha-ha" Sakura smiled sheepishly. "This stupid promotional tour is messing with my private life." She couldn't help but feel sad for spending so much time away from her real life and all of her friends.

"Don't worry about it, it's over and you are coming back home." There was obvious fondness in Ino's voice, accompanied by pure happiness. After all, she hadn't seen her best friend in almost four months.

"Although, I still can't complain, I'm singing my songs now and that makes me happy too." These words brought some cheerfulness back, along with the memories of all the fans shouting her name and of her singing in front of so many people.

"Yeah, you are famous now. Nevertheless, you deserve every bit of it. I'm proud of you, Sakura!"Ino smiled dotingly as she spoke with a supportive and proud tone.

"Thanks, Ino, you are a great friend!" The friendly affection was noticeable in Sakura's tone too. Nowadays, Sakura got overemotional over the smallest things; she spent so much time without seeing her friends and that alone time was affecting her.

"By the way, the girls are here. Wait, I'll put you on speaker."

Sakura smiled from ear to ear at this. "Great, put them on!"

"Hey, babe, we'll finally see you in person after so much time has passed. I'm so happy about tomorrow," Tenten was the first to speak with her happy-go voice reserved only for her special people.

"Hey, Tenten! I'm happy too, I was just telling Ino the same thing!" Sakura flashed a bright smile out of sheer happiness. Even though her friends couldn't see it, they knew it was there.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, I can't believe you are finally coming home. We all miss you so much. N-Naruto-kun is talking non-stop about you coming back." Hinata smiled gently, which displayed her contentment. Sakura knew this, despite being on the phone; she simply knew Hinata way too good. The shy girl speaks without stuttering now, except when talking about Naruto and especially when he's around.

"Aww, I miss you all too. I'm super excited that we'll see each other tomorrow, I can't wait. I miss everything about home and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I also miss Naruto's loud voice," at this every girl laughed. "Oh, and girls, wait till you see the presents I bought for you! You'll all flip!" Sakura said in a chirpy tone.

"It better be some really expensive Gucci bag, or you won't see my face again, Forehead-girl," Ino joked in a very friendly way which she reserved for her bickering with Sakura.

"Like I care, Ino-pig," Sakura joked back with the same tone of voice her best friend used. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Sakura-chan, you shouldn't have. You coming back is the best present," Hinata spoke, but there was a small indication that showed how uncomfortable she felt about the whole ordeal. That is Hinata, all right… shower her with attention and she puts herself in a corner.

"Yeah, Hinata is right," Tenten added in a very soft voice.

"Girls, no worries, I wanted to. I missed you all so much while shopping alone that I couldn't help but buy all the stuff I thought you all would like," a little sorrow was noticeable in Sakura's voice, while the last words were spoken. Her dreams were becoming a reality, but without being able to share that with her important people, her happiness was not complete.

"WHAT! You mean it's more than one present for each?" Tenten shrieked, sounding utterly surprised.

"Yeah, I kind of got carried away," Sakura spoke bashfully.

"I guess you'll have to live with seeing my face every single day, Forhead!" Ino replied with the reserved tone for bickering with Sakura.

"I can't wait, Ino-pig! You'll have to live with seeing mine every day!" she used the same reserved tone for bickering with Ino, which made every girl roll with laughter.

"Girls, you'll have to try every single thing in front of me so, you know what this calls for?" Sakura spoke in a way that it was supposed to be very obvious.

"A SLEEP-OVER!" all four shrieked like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh, and girls, one more thing before I hang up. You are coming at my house for a sleepover _tomorrow_ night, not this weekend. I don't accept 'no' for an answer!" she demanded.

"Alright, alright," Tenten said with a fake bored tone, while she was actually super excited like every other girl.

"Sure, Sakura-chan, I can't wait," Hinata answered cheerfully.

"Yeah, Sakura, it will be so much fun, just like old times. Not so old, but you get what I mean…" Ino added.

"Thanks, girls, you are my best friends. I love you so much." Sakura's voice was full with love and affection and there was a huge smile spreading on her beautiful face.

"Aww, Sakura, no problem. We are best friends for a reason; we love you too," all three spoke at the same time, with the same love and affection as Sakura.

"Bye, I'm in front of the airport, so see you tomorrow!" Sakura bided them goodbye with the same happy tone in her voice and smiled nonetheless.

"_Bye! See ya!"_ Ino hung up the phone and then they all squealed like crazies.

"Our girl is coming home!" they all shouted in unison while jumping up and down.

Sakura hung up with a huge smile on her face, but then remembered a certain someone, and the fact that it was inevitable to cross paths with him starting tomorrow. '_Oh well, at least my best friends will be there with me when I see him. I don't know what I'll do if I were to see him alone._' Moreover, with those thoughts, Sakura exited the limo and walked towards the airport.

* * *

A silver 'Audi R8' parked on a reserved spot at the school parking lot. A very stoic looking Neji got out of the driving seat with his girlfriend Tenten exiting through the passenger's side. She followed after him and they both stood next to their friends, the ones that were already there.

Right in the next parking spot, Naruto parked his green Lamborghini with Hinata inside. Naruto exited the car in a flicker and went to open the door for Hinata, flashing a blinding smile at her, making her blush like never before. It was the first time for Naruto to bring Hinata at school, since Neji had a new car that had only two seats. Next to Naruto's car there was a deep blue 'Hummer H3' and upon noticing it Naruto beamed in complete mocking enjoyment and walked toward the owner.

"Hey, Kiba, I see you fixed that big dent on your Hummer," Naruto spoke with a teasing smile on his face and his hands behind his head in a laid-back way. Kiba looked up and glared at Naruto with rage in his eyes. The usual morning bickering between these two was starting.

"Yeah, his father finally decided to pay for it," Shino answered instead, because he knew what comes after that tone in Naruto's voice.

"Hmph… you got that right, _finally_!" After Naruto's mocking tone, Kiba's anger grew immensely.

"Don't feel so cocky, Naruto, I can turn your little car into salt with my baby, dent or no dent!" Kiba growled with irritation and the same mocking tone while clenching his fists at his sides.

"Let's see you try, asshole!" Naruto shouted, while shooting a glare at Kiba with his fists also clenched.

"Who are you calling asshole, _asshole_!" At that point it seemed that the frown was plastered on Kiba's face permanently.

"They already started it, and I was hoping I wouldn't get a headache this early in the morning," Tenten said with her hands crossed in front of her chest and an annoyed stare directed at the both 'fired up' boys.

"Yeah and why do we still tolerate them? I have no idea," Neji agreed with no emotion on his face and his eyes closed in obvious aggravation.

The squabbling between Naruto and Kiba intensified and then almost every student turned towards them, some to enjoy the fight and others who became irritated to no end. Hinata soon noticed this and began to feel embarrassed, so deciding what was best, she chose to end this quarrel before it got out of hand.

"N-Naruto-kun, Kiba! P-pp-lease s-s-stop th-this!" Hinata stuttered because of the attention from so many students and because Naruto was standing right next to her.

After hearing her words, Naruto stopped shouting at Kiba in an instant. The brown-haired Kiba stopped too, while trying to smile in an apologetic manner at Hinata.

Naruto then turned toward her, "I'm sorry, Hinata-chan," he smiled sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, "I'm stopping, because I'll do anything for you." Then he took her hand in his and kissed it.

Hinata immediately went red in the face and took her hand away out of sheer discomfiture. "Th-tha-thank you, N-Na-Naruto-kun." She looked away from him in attempt to stop the blushing which was no help since Naruto stood so close and she basically felt the heat radiating off of him.

"No problem, Hinata-chan, you are my angel, after all." Naruto flashed a smile at her and Hinata couldn't help but blush even more than before.

Tenten, observing this interesting morning development, decided to interfere and help the lavender eyed girl. "Okay, Naruto, we all know that. Now back off a bit and let the girl breathe. Can't you see she might faint any minute," she said while taking Hinata's hand and moving a few steps away from Naruto.

"But, why would she faint?" Naruto asked making the face he used for when he didn't understand a single thing.

"Talk about oblivious," mumbled Tenten. Neji glared at Naruto the whole time — over protective much. In the way Neji saw it, Naruto was the worst type of boy for his cousin; actually no boy was good enough, but the blonde was just at the top of the list.

"Hey, guys look, there's Bushy Brow, in a Porche? What. The. Hell.!" Naruto shouted looking at Lee's yellow 'Porche Carrera GT' with his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. Lee was not poor or anything, but simply that car was not something he could afford.

Lee slammed the door shut and walked toward the assembled group who were all gawking at him like he had grown another head. "Good morning, my youthful friends!" Lee greeted them with his usual smile. They all nodded at him like mute people and stared at him and his car in disbelief.

"Hey, Bushy Brow! What's with the Porche? Is it yours?" Naruto asked with a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"Yeah, I won it in a very youthful fight contest this summer! It has such a youthful color and even more youthful speed!" Lee answered with a somewhat bragging tone.

"Yeah, tell me about it! We should race sometime, Bushy Brow!" Naruto exclaimed using a challenging tone and a goofy grin spreading on his lips.

"Hey, what about me? I wanna race both of you, so don't you even dare leave me out!" Kiba complained, but rose up the challenge. Naruto beamed and felt proud for a job well done; these boys would never drop the contest between them, no matter what.

"I accept your youthful challenge, Naruto! Just tell me when and where and I am there, you can join us too, Kiba!" Lee said flashing his nice-guy pose with the thumb up, at Naruto and Kiba.

"Congratulations, Lee-san!" Hinata said to him politely.

"Yeah, congratulations, I'm sure you deserved it, Lee!" Tenten added smiling at him, while Neji just nodded at his direction. Shino, who was sulking as usual, nodded at him too.

"Thanks, guys this is so youthful of you!" Lee continued to speak with his cheerful tone and huge smile still present on his face.

The roar of a racing bike pulling to a stop averted the attention of the gathered group. Sai got off his 'Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR' and walked toward his friends while giving them his fake smile.

"Hey, Sai, your bike matches my car!" Naruto exclaimed using a laid-back tone with closed eyes as if he didn't give a shit about anything.

"I know, dickless," Sai answered using the same laid-back tone, with no expression of any kind on his face.

Moreover, that was the end of Naruto not giving shit about anything. "Sai! I'll kill you!" Naruto growled and pointed a fist at him, but only got a fake smile in return, which angered Naruto even more.

"Sai, we should try the track some day. My Honda versus your Kawasaki," Shino suggested in a brooding voice as usual, but expectant for an answer. Too many challenges were made between the groups of friends, so it seems there will soon be a gathering at their usual racing track.

"Sure, Shino," Sai beamed a smile, but it looked like it was there just for show. He only went by the book in moments like these.

"I hope Shino beats your ass, Sai, maybe that will wipe that fake smile off your face!" Naruto's yelled with fury evident in his voice, but there was also a slight edge of mocking.

Afterward, when things got a bit more normal, the group started their usual morning exchange. Hinata and Tenten were conversing on some girly topic as Shino was acting moody in his trademark fashion. Neji just stood looking stoic, while showing no interest in anything around him. Naruto was ranting his ass off about some unimportant thing and Kiba disagreed on everything; at least they were not squabbling like crazy. Sai smiled at every student passing by — fake, obviously — in thought that that was the right thing to do. However, everyone was soon interrupted by Ino and her ear pitching voice.

"Hi ya, bitches, how you all doing?" she asked loudly, coming to stand right beside Hinata and Tenten. The guys rolled their eyes, but greeted her anyway; everyone in their own way. Soon, the girls started telling Ino about some girly stuff as she squealed loudly — typical Ino with her overexcitement over little things.

Ino then noticed a familiar car in the parking lot and couldn't help but smile out of pure happiness. "Oh, Shika-kun!" she cooed as she ran toward Shikamaru as he exited out of his 'Nissan Skyline GT-R'. Out on the passenger's side, Chouji came out with a small smile on his face. "Shika-kun, how was the business trip with your father? Did you miss me?" Asked Ino while holding his hand and making a sexy face. Shikamaru muttered something that sounded like 'Troublesome…' at which Ino made a cute scowl. "What was that?" she shrieked right into his ear.

"Yes Ino, I missed you," Shikamaru gave her his agreement by using his usual bored tone, all the while rolling his eyes vaguely.

"That's what I thought. By the way, I missed you too, Shika-kun!" she said by using her sweet voice, at which Shikamaru glanced noticeably at her and he smirked, "Also, you better make a move on me this year and pronto because I don't plan to stay single much longer! I might just go out with Sai," Ino continued pouting cutely, while that comment made Shikamaru feel like someone had stabbed him with a knife… jealous much!

"Troublesome woman," he muttered but then smiled and put his hand around Ino's shoulder, which evoked a smile and encouraged Ino to snuggle closer.

"Hey, Chouji, how are you?" Ino asked as she directed her attention toward her friend, while still snuggling in Shikamaru's arms.

"Hey, Ino, I'm good, and how are you?" Chouji spoke and looked at her while at the same time opening a new pack of chips.

"I'm great!" Ino chirped while looking at Shikamaru, which made it obvious why she was so cheery. They neared where their other friends were standing and everyone greeted the two boys. Soon, they all continued with their usual friendly chatter.

Sasuke, deciding to show up with his black Ferrari, parked it at his reserved spot, all the while the whole parking lot was filled with the excited squealing from his stupid fan-girls. Naruto noticed this, but ignored it just like his best friend did. However, he could not take notice of the fact that the raven haired teenager showed up.

"Hey, here comes the teme, I raced him yesterday and he lost! I told you he's a loser!" this comment from the loud blond made everyone sweat drop.

"Hn, keep smiling, dead-last. It won't last long, next time I won't go easy on you," Sasuke said, as he walked in the direction where everyone stood and smirked mockingly at Naruto.

"As if, you obviously didn't go easy on me yesterday. Stupid teme!" Naruto started the usual glare contest.

"Dobe!" Sasuke accepted the started glare contest in a fierce way.

"Uchiha, I see you got yourself a new car," Neji said, using the tone specialized for his eternal rival. The two participating the 'glaring ritual', turned their attention toward the stoic looking Hyuga.

"Hn, I hear the same thing about you, Hyuga," Sasuke spoke with a completely unemotional tone, while glancing at Neji's car.

"Black again? Suits you," Ino said mockingly, while totally surveying every detail on Sasuke's car, which only served to evoke a glare from him.

"Why do you say that, Ino?" Naruto questioned, oblivious to the obvious.

"Well, duh, dark, gloomy, and boring!" Ino exclaimed in a monotone fashion, at which the girls, Naruto, and Kiba laughed, while Sasuke scrunched up his eyebrows in pure irritation.

"So, why are we still here? Are we waiting for someone?" Chouji asked while munching on some chips.

"How could've you forgotten, Chouji? We are waiting for Sakura, of course! She should be here any minute!" Ino shouted, a little irritated at Chouji.

Sasuke's mind became completely iced up and his insides did back flips, as he felt as if unable to control his emotions. '_Calm down, Uchiha! This is not like you at all. She means nothing to you._' Sasuke thought trying to convince himself and somehow managed to calm himself down. He was so practised in settling his emotions; it was almost like a second nature to him.

"Oh, yeah, she came back yesterday night, right?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, but, why is she late? That's so not like her," Naruto spoke with a curious tone, while tapping a finger on his chin in a thoughtful manner.

"She must be tired from the long flight," Tenten replied, all the while checking the parking lot for Sakura's car, "OMG, there she is, in the white cabrio!" Tenten exclaimed jumping up and down making everyone in an instant, follow her pointed finger.

This caused Sasuke's stomach to fill with butterflies. Who would've thought that the always cold teenager would feel nervous? Ha, not so controlling, after all! Being nervous as he was, he followed the car's every move with his eyes, the anxiety becoming obvious to him. '_Why do I feel this way? It must be because I'm curious. I haven't seen her for so long and I'm curious about how she'll look and act. Yea, that's it. Right?_' When he managed to take a glimpse of her face, his blood started to boil, '_She looks so different!_' was the only thing his mind could process at the moment.

Everyone around him was giddy and some — that would be the girls and Naruto — couldn't even stand firm in one place. They squealed and jumped up and down; well, Naruto doesn't squeal, but you get the picture. Sakura parked her white 'BMW M3' right next to Sasuke's car, took her white Jimmy Choo clutch into her small hands and exited. The moment she set foot on the asphalt, a commotion began to form.

Sakura was dressed in a silky strapless top that flowed down her waist and it reached right to her hips. It was some sort of dark navy color with white embellishments of many sizes lightening up the look of the material. It fitted her perfectly and it made her cleavage look especially nice, without showing off too much skin. Her white pants were torn in several places, giving her a rock styled look. Her high-heeled sandals were especially unique with the chains hanging from several places along with the many straps that held her leg. Their color was dark silver and it matched her clothes particularly well. The white clutch she held in her hands had a butterfly shaped embroidery, making it look magnificent. Her hair was lifted high in a messy bun and a chained bracelet adorned her left hand. Also, to top that look, she wore black 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses.

After closing the car door, Sakura took off her sunglasses and flashed a beautiful blinding smile at all of her friends.

That smile, and the way she was dressed, left Sasuke completely speechless and his whole being burning like never before. '_WOW! She looks even more beautiful than I remember, than on TV or those posters!_' Sasuke thought to himself. With a careful slide of his eyes over her body and especially her face, he took every detail about her in. Realizing he was practically staring at her with his mouth open, he tried to regain his composure by looking around to see what the others were doing. Everyone was doing the exact same thing he was; even Chouji wasn't munching on his chips.

Then, Naruto broke the short moment of silence. "Wow, she doesn't even look tired at all," at his comment, everyone sweat dropped. The girls were already running toward Sakura to embrace her, but Naruto beat them to it, by literally tackling Sakura in a big hug. If the car weren't right behind her, she would have been on the ground by then.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura said a little out of breath, but Naruto tightened his embrace — he never ceases to show his emotions quite openly. "Naruto… can't …breathe!"

"Oh, sorry, Sakura-chan! I just missed you so much!" Naruto happily said, smiling sheepishly, while Sakura took a huge intake of air and gripped the car door for support.

"It's okay, Naruto, I missed you too," she replied giving him a more normal hug, "So much!" Finally, she released him and it was the girls' turn. They all made a huge friendly group hug and squealed like crazy. Sakura joined the squealing and they all jumped up and down, while the guys stared at them and had the same thought running through their minds '_Do they have to do this like _that_?_'

At last, the girls ended their cheerful greeting and all of them directed a fleeting look at Sakura to better absorb her appearance and make a girly acceptance.

"OMG, Sakura! You look absolutely gorgeous!" Ino screamed for all ears to hear, which evoked Sakura to blush a rosy tone.

That blush made Sasuke stare at her again, while being unaware of his own actions. '_She's just so beautiful,_' he thought as he felt small tingles go throughout his body.

"Yeah, you are practically glowing!" Tenten spoke with her friendly appreciation.

"I must agree, you look beautiful, Sakura-chan," Hinata added giving her a sweet smile. Sakura said a quiet 'thank you' to all of them and smiled gently, while a small rose blush spread on her cheeks, again.

"However, that still doesn't mean that your new car is hotter than mine, Forehead!" Ino commented with a joking tone. She was referring to her red 'Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 Cabrio'.

"Well, I wouldn't agree! Nowadays, white car means 'HOT' car! Haven't you read last month's Cosmo, Ino-pig?" Sakura answered in the same joking manner. The girls laughed at this making Ino pout at first, but then she joined them in their laughter. The guys' just sweat dropped, except Sasuke, who was still only paying attention to his ex-girlfriend's smile.

They all started walking toward the group of friends as Lee approached Sakura with a huge smile plastered on his face. "My beautiful cherry blossom, your youthful beauty is breathtaking. I vow to win your heart this year!" When he took Sakura's hand in his own, she smiled awkwardly without knowing what to say. "Your youthful songs are so youthfully awesome, your angelic voice puts me to sleep every night and wakes me up in the morning, my beautiful Sakura-chan." Lee then kissed her hand, which brought Sakura the feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment.

"Um… thanks, I guess?" Sakura said uncomfortably taking her hand away, but gave him a polite smile anyway. Nobody noticed, not even Sasuke himself that while this confession of feelings were made, he was murderously glaring at Lee the whole time.

Afterward, every one of the boys greeted Sakura and gave her compliments about her songs. She was blushing most of the time, but smiled politely and said a small 'thank you' to everybody. She was still as humble as ever; the attention was not something she could easily get used to.

Sasuke stared at her the whole time without saying a single thing. '_She noticed everybody, but me. She is smiling and chatting with them and hasn't even greeted me yet!_' Sasuke couldn't help bet feel hurt inside. '_What is wrong with you, Uchiha? Why do you even care? She can do whatever she pleases and you should not care in the slightest bit,_' he said to himself and nodded internally in agreement to his own suggestion. However, he still couldn't keep his eyes off of her, as if his eyes had a mind of their own.

Sakura finally felt someone's stare on her and turned around to be met with black piercing eyes. Sasuke quickly averted his gaze and pretended as if nothing happened; when in reality something did. A feeling, like bolt of electricity, went through both their bodies in that single moment when bright green clashed with onyx. '_Was he staring at me?_' butterflies fluttered in Sakura's stomach at that thought.

'_**Hell yeah, he did!**_**' **her inner shouted with a fist clenched in the air in triumph.

'_No, he didn't, he couldn't have! Why would he? He wanted to break up. There must be some new girl in his life._' Sakura's sadness resurfaced, but she couldn't let it show on the outside because now she was aware that all her friends, and especially _him,_ were standing around her.

She always reassured herself that Sasuke didn't feel anything for her, so she wouldn't let the hope live in her and then get her heart broken again; it was some sort of a shield she created so she wouldn't t get hurt again. The break up brought huge pain and broke her heart in pieces. Now, she would do anything to protect her feelings. She was much stronger now, not so fragile like before, she also denied her love for him in order to maintain strong.

'_**You can live in denial, but I won't!**_**' **her inner stated and crossed hands in front of her chest, while closing her eyes as if in dignity. Her inner self was always openly speaking her mind and never afraid to show her emotions.

'_Shut UP! Just go to your corner or something!_' Sakura said to her inner in annoyance and willingly shut her out.

Now everyone stared at them and every single of their friends had different thoughts running through their heads. However, Sasuke and Sakura were only aware of their own presence and the feelings burning their insides. They both tried to suppress them and remain cool.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "Hello, Sasuke-kun," she spoke softly and smiled gently at him, in an attempt to not show how hurt she was from the break up, and that the idea of being just friends with him was not bothering her at all.

Sasuke's feelings intensified at the sound of his name coming off her lips. '_Did she just call me _Sasuke-kun_?_' Sasuke felt like he would melt any minute. Though, he remembered that he shouldn't react like this and allow those feelings to overwhelm him, so he attempted to turn on his 'I'm so cool!' mode. '_Okay, I have to get out of here, before I burn inside out, right here and right now!_' He casted a single glance at her, which didn't help his plan at all. '_NOT GOOD! Not good at all! I have to do something quick!_' His internal struggle was happening in only a couple of seconds, which was no surprising at all with all of the tension he felt.

"Hn," He grunted and stormed off in an instant.

Sakura couldn't help but feel hurt due to his rejection. It was like a slap in her face, as if she lived through the moments of the break up again. Everyone noticed the hurtful expression on her face and Naruto started rubbing her back in attempt to comfort her, while Ino placed a hand around her shoulders and whispered to her, "Don't worry, Sakura. He's a jerk and doesn't deserve you."

All of her friends smiled reassuringly at her and Sakura felt a bit better. '_I'm so lucky to have such great friends,_' she thought to herself and then smiled brightly at them all.

"It's okay, I don't care what he says or does anymore!" then she beamed her best smile and continued, "I'm back and all my friends are with me, that's what matters! Come on, let's go!" Taking Ino's and Naruto's hands, she dragged them toward the school gates. Everybody smiled and they all entered the school as a group of friends, that's what they were, after all — with some bits of romance, here and there.

* * *

As Sasuke walked through the halls, he started to feel anger boiling in him. Every single person in the school talked about Sakura and even some talked about their relationship from last year. Most of the guys were conversing on the topic 'Sakura's hotness' and literally drooled over pictures of her that they were holding in their hands.

Small number of girls spoke nicely about her, but most were saying trashy stuff about her out of jealousy — all of them Sasuke's fan girls, who were currently trying to gain his attention, but all in vain of course. To top it all off, someone blasted a song by Sakura on an iPod and connected portable speakers to it. Sasuke couldn't take any more of these mixed emotions running through him. His mind was going so fast through so many different thoughts, he began to feel dizzy out of confusion and everything around him spun in circles making him feel like he would lose the ground. He then walked toward the bathroom in order to try to calm down.

Arriving to the sink, he splashed cold water on his face. '_I have to calm down; I'm an Uchiha, for crying out loud! This is not acceptable! I just have to get used to the idea that she's back and famous, and most importantly, that we are not a couple any more!_' he took a few deep breaths, straightened up, and put on the cool facade while looking at himself through the mirror. '_That's better! Now, go out and face everything with a cool head!_' He then walked out into the hall acting as if not a single thing could touch him. '_Now we're talking, I feel great!_'

He never actually understood what or better said _who_ made him feel like if he were in heaven. It would take time, and a pink haired girl, to break through his shell.

* * *

As Sakura walked through the halls with all her friends by her side, they were all heading to their lockers to pick up their class schedules, but to their immense irritation, they had to stop every few steps because the students were tormenting Sakura with fan stuff.

Sakura acted politely towards all her fans, but in reality was fuming on the inside. She then turned toward her friends and spoke through clenched teeth, "If this keeps up, we're all be late for class!"

"Well, Ugly, you should have thought about this earlier." Sai flashed her with his fake smile, while she glared at him. The others just looked at him like he was the biggest idiot ever, but he never changed his expression.

"I have an idea!" Naruto shouted with a fist in the air. All of them looked at him as if he was crazy. "What?" he shouted again with surprised expression on his face.

"This better not be some of your 'extremely brilliant' ideas," Tenten said while rolling her eyes and making quotation marks at the right time for the right words.

"What are you talking about? My ideas are always brilliant," Naruto spoke with a cute pout. Hinata smiled gently at him, but all the others just sweat dropped.

Sakura's patience went down the drain with every passing second. "Spit it out, Naruto!" She looked at him with anger that was not entirely directed at him. He then motioned for everybody to come closer and then surprisingly everyone agreed and the plan commenced.

They somehow managed to hide Sakura out of the eyes of everyone and now she was walking in the middle of a circle made by all her friends. The students walking in the hall were whispering and wondering where 'the star' went, and at that, Naruto felt proud with himself. Hinata smiled approvingly at him and Sakura whispered "Thank you guys, I owe you big time." She then thought to herself, '_I hope all of this attention dies down soon or I won't be able to survive through the year!_' She sighed internally at that thought.

* * *

After taking her class schedule, Sakura found out that out of all the classes she was going to be taking, one or a couple of her friends took them at the same time she did. All, except one… Biology! Moreover, that was exactly why she felt anxious throughout her first three classes.

_**First Class (Math with Kakashi-sensei, shared with Ino and Hinata)**_

'_What if Sasuke takes the same class? __Oh NO, I think I'm going to faint! What would I do? I can't go through a whole class with him sitting in the same room! Oh NO, oh NO!_' Sakura's panic was evident on her face and by her actions.

Ino noticed that her best friend was fidgeting nervously and literally twisting the hem of her shorts between her fingers. "Sakura, stop it. You'll rip your shorts."

Sakura abruptly stopped in fear of being caught or her thoughts revealed, while glancing at Ino and smiling awkwardly. "Oh, sorry! I just… um… I…" Sakura was at loss for words.

"Are you all right, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked in a worried tone with the same concerned glint in her eyes. However, Sakura just stared at the floor, which only managed to scare both of her friends. Sakura unaware of her actions started playing with the hem of the shorts again.

"Hey, babe, are you okay?" Ino asked and put a hand over the one Sakura was using to twist her shorts.

Sakura looked up and immediately her mind registered what was happening and decided to snap out of her thoughts. '_I have to pull it together! He's not worth any of it!_' she took a deep breath and smiled her best smile at Ino and Hinata. "I'm okay, girls. It's just I'm a bit sleep deprived, anyway, thanks."

After this, her friends looked a bit suspicious, but decided to believe her. "Okay," they both said at the same time. Then they all turned their attention towards Kakashi.

_**Second class (Japanese Literature with Iruka-sensei, shared with Naruto and Hinata)**_

'_I feel much better now! I feel excellent… urgh, who am I kidding? I feel like a total wreck! One thing is to go through lunch break with all my friends around and ignore his presence, but completely different if I have the same class with him with not one of my friends there! I'm going to have a panic attack after lunch break! I just know it!_' Sakura was gripping her pencil until it snapped in half and one piece flew right at Naruto's forehead.

"What the hell?" Naruto shouted, while turning to look at Sakura. He saw her smiling at him apologetically, while holding the other broken piece of the pencil. "Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto leaned over his desk and looked directly at Sakura with a confused face.

"I'm really sorry, Naruto. I'm okay, don't worry." she smiled sheepishly at him and averted her attention towards Iruka-sensei, but her mind was not there. '_I have to calm down or all my friends would think I've lost my mind completely while away,_' she thought to herself. '_It's not like I'm sure he'll be having Biology with me. Actually, when I think about it, he never shared that class with me since 9__th__ grade. So, I'm positive he won't be this year!_' Right after that thought, Sakura calmed down and acted like her normal self till the end of the class.

Hinata witnessed the whole thing, and became even more worried, but decided to leave everything for when the girls would be alone and ask Sakura what was really wrong.

_**Third class (Art History with Genma-sensei, shared with Sai and Shino)**_

'_It's decided, I don't give a damn about his presence as long as he's not speaking with me, which is definitely going to happen! I don't care if he ignores me… hmph, I'll ignore him too! He can do whatever he wants, even flirt with those stupid fan girls of his._' At this last thought, Sakura felt a little pang in her chest. '_Why do I still feel this way? Why do I even think about him all the time? I should—_' her thoughts were soon interrupted by Sai, who was witnessing her behaviour, which all happened in about ten seconds' time and a few different emotional expressions were shown on Sakura's face, which got him worried.

"Ugly, what are you thinking? Are you troubled?" he asked her, while trying to make the right face and look concerned because he really was.

"No, why would you say that?" Sakura asked almost instantly.

"I read in this book that when a person is oblivious about what's happening around and engaged in their own thoughts and changes the facial expressions from one to another in a short period of time, it means that that person is troubled. And, you looked exactly like that just now." He smiled at her, almost genuinely.

"No, no!" she reassured him, shaking her hands in front of herself in a defensive manner. "I was just thinking about this new song that I need to write, record, and then promote in the next month and how I'm going to manage that with all my school work," at this point, she was speaking very fast, but luckily for her, Sai didn't catch the obvious sign that she actually was troubled over something.

However, Shino, who was sitting right behind her, noticed everything. He tapped her on her shoulder and when she turned around he said, "Don't worry, Sakura. Whatever it is, it will all work out at the end!" smiling at her; as much as he can that is.

Sakura was very confused, but nodded anyway. "Thank you, Shino, you are a great friend," she said very quietly because that was all she could manage at the moment, being as confused as she was. She turned around and stared in front of her, while in deep thought. '_He spoke as if he knew what I was thinking, but, maybe he is right… everything might work out at the end!_'

That exact thought made her feel great and relaxed about everything and especially the thoughts concerning a certain black eyed teenager.

* * *

The girls were gathered in front of the lockers and talking about some girly stuff making Sakura very cheerful and feeling happy that she was back and spending time with her friends, and not even a single moment were her thoughts occupied with the raven haired boy. Hinata felt relieved that Sakura was happy and acting like her normal self, while flashing her cheery smile from time to time.

"Girls, you know, I'm expecting you today at 5:30 pm at my house," Sakura spoke to the three girls beside her, while putting some books in her locker.

"Yeah, Sakura, we know. It will be so much fun." Ino smiled, while Hinata and Tenten agreed in a cheerful manner.

"I should tell Neji that Sakura will be driving me to school tomorrow," Tenten said resting her weight on the lockers.

Hinata nodded at her and said "Yeah, and I should tell N-Naruto-kun the same." At that moment, Sakura turned around in an instant and stared at Hinata with wide eyes.

"Hinata, since when does Naruto drive you to school?" Sakura asked as she nudged Hinata's shoulder playfully and winked mischievously at her. Hinata blushed madly and started paying attention to the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

However, Sakura noticed this, "Okay, what am I missing here?" She turned toward Tenten and Ino with a serious expression on her face.

"Well, Neji has a new car and since it only has two seats, he insisted to take me to school because you know, I don't have a car." Sakura nodded to confirm that she was following and encouraged Tenten to continue, "Still, he was worried about who would drive Hinata and listen to this, Naruto with the speed of light, asked Hinata if she wanted he could take her to school every day. He actually asked her, and let me tell you, I witnessed that and it was one of the sweetest things I've seen in my life! He can actually be a very good boyfriend for Hinata someday!" Tenten finished, thoughtfully contemplating her last statement.

A very deep, red blush flushed Hinata's face when she heard the word boyfriend. "Oh, and this morning, Naruto literally opened the door for Hinata and not only that, when she asked him to stop fighting with Kiba, he stopped, apologized and specified that he would only stop because she asked him to and that he would do anything for her!" After that, Tenten stopped talking to take a breath, while Sakura and Ino, not knowing the story, shrieked and hugged a very blushing Hinata. She was smiling gently, but feeling a bit embarrassed at the same time. "That's not the best part! Wait till you both hear it!" Hinata after catching on what Tenten was about to say, steadied herself on the lockers in attempt to calm down. Sakura and Ino noticed this and prepared for what was coming and stared at Tenten expectantly. "He said and I quote, 'You are my angel, after all!'" and with that, Tenten flashed a huge smile and the two girls joined her. Hinata, who was still blushing, started to calm down a bit.

"Hinata, you lucky girl," Sakura said nudging her playfully again.

"I think we should expect a hook up very soon," Ino said nonchalantly, but no one missed the mischievous glint in her eyes.

Hinata dreamily sighed and unintentionally let out something that was meant only for her. "I hope so…" All the girls looked at her in utter surprise. She gaped after realising her slip.

"Hinata, you didn't even stutter!" Sakura said to her and smiled in appreciation.

While Hinata spoke, a light pink blush dusted her cheeks, "Well, I have to admit that I want N-Naruto-kun to be my boy-boyfriend."

"It seems you are getting used to Naruto being close to you, which is very good. I'm so happy for you, Hinata!" Sakura hugged her and then Ino and Tenten joined in a group hug. "We all are!" they both said in unison and after that, Hinata smiled softly in happiness.

"Okay, now let's go. I have to witness Naruto's gentle manifestations directed toward Hinata," said Sakura as she smiled and motioned for the other girls to follow. They all walked toward the lunchroom with giddy expressions on their faces.

* * *

"Hey, teme, over here!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, while flapping his hands in the air in the lunchroom as he spotted his best friend entering through the doors.

'_Dobe! Does he have to be so loud?_' Sasuke thought with his impassive expression plastered on his face, while walking toward where his loud-mouth of a friend was sitting. "Hn, what's up with you?" he asked while eyeing the now angry looking Naruto through the corner of his eyes.

"I should ask you the same thing! What's up with you?" Now Naruto was getting closer to Sasuke's face in a menacing manner with his hands crossed in front of his chest.

The impassiveness on the raven-haired teenager was replaced with a glare. "What the hell are you talking about?" he growled in attempt to intimidate, but with no effect whatsoever on the determined Naruto.

"How can you, possibly not know? What the hell was wrong with you this morning? She greeted you nicely and even smiled her sweet smile and you _grunted_! You freaking grunted!" Naruto spoke through gritted teeth without even attempting to change his angry expression.

Sasuke angered him even more after rolling his eyes and nonchalantly letting out his famous "Hn" and also, closing his eyes to show that he didn't care about anything Naruto said.

Now the rage was boiling in Naruto's veins and he couldn't take it anymore. "You don't deserve her, Sasuke! Not her, not her love, and not even any of her attention!" He practically yelled in his best friend's ear and turned to eat his meal, while jabbing the fork with too much force.

Sasuke was a bit surprised that his best friend called him by his name. '_He seems to be very serious about his words,_' he thought while looking confused because of those exact words Naruto said. "What are you talking about? She doesn't love me," Sasuke said while trying to sound as cool as possible, but ended up showing the little disappointment he had in believing his own words that Sakura actually didn't love him. Either way, Sasuke ignored his feelings and thoughts he had concerning his ex-girlfriend, just as he always did.

Naruto noticed the little slip because after all, he's the one that knows Sasuke the best. This got him to stare in disbelief, but he decided to push away any reason for hope. "At the moment, I wish that were true, but, I'm not so sure. If she still does, I hope that she'll get over you and move on. She doesn't deserve to be treated like you treat her," Naruto spoke in a slightly calmer manner than before, but his brows were still furrowed. He didn't even expect an answer from Sasuke and he was right about it, again.

'_She loves me? That sounds so… so… not likely. She said it before, but I always thought of it as a simple phrase. Did she really mean it? Does she still feel that way for me?_' Sasuke was lost in thought and ignored everything and everyone within his close proximity.

Until he heard a familiar giggle that belong to a certain pink-haired beauty. He turned toward the source and saw her entering the lunchroom with some guy, and pretty handsome at that. In addition, the worst part was that she was smiling at him as a small pink blush dusted her cheeks and her three friends were nowhere to be seen. She was practically conversing with him with no one else around.

The victim of Sasuke's anger at the moment was the bottle of water in his hands. He didn't notice how much fury he felt and all the unpleasant thoughts running through his mind concerning the guy she was kissing at the moment. '_Wait a minute! What the hell? She kissed him on the cheek? What the hell is she thinking?_' Sasuke was practically burning with jealousy. However, to make matters even worse, she smiled the sweet way she always used only for her precious people. '_WHAT? Did she really move on, just like Naruto had said? But, who is this _asshole_?_' Sasuke didn't even notice that he used that particular word in reference for the guy. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were scorching with anger.

"Teme, you are literally smashing the bottle. What are you thinking?" Naruto asked snapping the angered teenager out of his thoughts and his wishes to destroy everything around, especially a particular _someone_; a very particular _asshole_ that was now walking away from the smiling girl, with a huge grin plastered on his face.

'_Laugh while you can! It won't be long!_' Sasuke thought with a menacing glint in his eyes. Nevertheless, he managed to regain his composure and decided to answer the blond sitting right next to him. "I needed something to release tension, that's all," he nonchalantly said to Naruto.

"Oh, okay! Want to shoot some hoops later to release the steam?" Naruto asked understanding.

'_Heh! I see why he's my best friend, he knows me too well,_' Sasuke thought to himself with a smirk on his face. "Sure, my place," he said with his usual unemotional tone, but the smirk still there.

"Yeah, alright!" Naruto smiled broadly pumping a fist in the air, already excited and planning on winning.

At that moment, Sakura decided to show up with her three best friends standing right beside her. Sasuke noticed and rolled his eyes with an internal grunt '_Hmph, so now they are with her!_' He thought paying attention to her every move through the corner of his eyes.

Sakura then took a seat across from Naruto with the girls following. Tenten sat right beside her boyfriend, Ino didn't hesitate in sitting in between Shikamaru and Sai, — after all she has to set in motion her plan in making a certain lazy bum to ask her out, and what better way than make him jealous right in front of his eyes, — which left Hinata standing and wondering where to sit.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, come sit here, I saved you a seat!" Naruto smiled at Hinata with his big smile and nodded for her to come and sit next to him. He was entirely mesmerized by the beauty of the pale-eyed girl that he completely missed the death glare directed at him coming from a certain Hyuga.

When she complied and sat next to Naruto all the while blushing different shades of red, he all so sweetly took her hand and placed a cookie in it. "Hinata-chan, I saved you one of your most favourite cookies!"

If it was possible, Hinata blushed a deeper red and her heart fluttered like a little bird in the sky. "Th-thank y-you, N-nar-uto-kun," she stuttered as she smiled sweetly at him and somehow managed to look in his eyes. The moment pale lavender eyes clashed with bright blue ones, they both felt like they lost the ground beneath their feet. They were so entranced in their little moment that they didn't notice their pink haired friend smile with pure happiness due to the exchange of emotions.

While that romantic event happened, other thoughts were occupying Sasuke's mind. He might have managed to look as stoic as ever, but on the inside he was burning. He was looking at Sakura through half lidded eyes and remembering every little detail of her face and how he felt when he touched or kissed her. She always acted so sweet and innocent when she spent time with him; he liked her for it.

However, now he was more focused on her beauty. '_She's just so beautiful! I can't even keep my eyes off of her. Off those rosy lips and her stunning smile and, her hair… her eyes… Oh. My. God. Those eyes are just the perfect colour and when she looks at me… that's it, she's not looking at me!_' Now Sasuke was literally burning with mixed emotions. '_Please, look at me! Just once,_' he had a longing look in his eyes, but just for a second, and luckily for him, no one noticed. '_Okay, now I'm totally loosing my mind!_' he thought to himself while bringing out his trademark stoic look on his face.

Suddenly, Lee decided to show up and sit beside Sakura, right across from the stoic looking Sasuke. "My beautiful cherry blossom, your youthful beauty gives light to this whole place!" Lee spoke, while staring at her with pure love shining in his eyes.

"May I ask you who that guy you were talking with just now was? I have to know if I have a chance in winning your love, my youthful flower." He boldly took her hand and placed it on his chest where his heart was with his hand on top of hers.

"Um… Lee, may I have my hand back?" Sakura smiled awkwardly and took her hand away. "And, he was just a guy who asked me to sign a picture for his sister because she's a huge fan," she finished without batting an eyelash.

Sasuke grunted at her answer. "Yeah, right, and the kiss was for his sister, too?" Sasuke spoke with the sarcasm evident in his voice and without even looking at Sakura.

Sakura was gaping at him like a fish. '_Who does he think he is? He's not my boyfriend anymore, so what are these jealous displays all of a sudden! In addition, right after he acted like a total jerk toward me this morning! He's not even looking at me! The nerve,_' continuing to fume in irritation she thought, '_Urgh, I hate him!_' "If you have to know, the kiss was for him being very sweet to me!" she explained with a normal, sweet tone, not even looking at Sasuke during the process. She then started eating her food completely ignoring him.

Sasuke was left speechless '_She actually said he was sweet, and, she kissed him because of that! She would've never have done that last year. She's… so… different. Somehow more confident!_' Sasuke was now staring at her in wonder and trying to anticipate every little movement and all the gestures she made in attempt to discover the new Sakura. However, he failed to do so. '_I guess she's still the same on the most part, but some parts of her personality._' After those thoughts Sasuke was trying to figure out how to get to know her better because he was curious as hell about her change. He was a bit edgy that she never even casted a glance at him, but refused to admit that to himself.

Never once during the lunch break, did Sakura look at him or even think about her fear on the possibility of having the next class with him, but, she was dying to look at him, to be allowed to stare at him. '_He's even more handsome than last year. I just want to look at him for at least a second… that would be enough for the whole day. Why is he doing this to me? He treats me like I'm some nobody and I still swoon over him. Urgh, I have to control myself!_' after that thought, she started unimportant conversations with her friends in order to distract herself.

Everyone at the long table was eating or conversing. They were simply spending time as friends, just like every day during the break, until it was time to go to the next class.

Sakura started gathering her things and walked with her friends toward the exit of the lunchroom. She was acting normal and totally forgot about Sasuke, until every single one of her friends said 'see you later' and went in the opposite direction of her destination, except _him_. Her worst fear was brought to daylight in her mind. He was now practically walking right next to her, and she was feeling like she would die any second.

Panic, heat, tingles, flutters in her stomach… all this happened at once for Sakura. In addition, Sasuke wasn't in any better position himself. He felt more nervous than ever. '_Where did all the comfort in being with her alone go? Everything is pure tension now! I hate it! If I could just speak to her, or touch her…_' he casted a sideways glance at her and noticed the same tension in her posture. '_So, she feels it too, and, the fact that we probably have the same class doesn't help at all._' He averted his gaze in front of him and noticed that they were nearing the classroom.

Sakura noticed this too and thought, a little relieved, '_Okay, I have to calm down. Having to spend the entire class with him in the same room is not such a big deal, as long as I sit as far away as possible._' She internally let out a sigh of relief at her cleverness. Her relief was short lived, because right when they were supposed to enter the classroom, they entered in the exact same time, which made them bump into each other. By reflex, they turned toward each other while still standing at the door in that small space. They were literally staring at each other with no expression whatsoever.

'_I can feel his breath all over my face… oh, so sweet! If I could touch his face, it would be perfect!_' Sakura thought while everything else she felt before was totally forgotten. Now the only thing she felt was him and everything about him, she was only aware of his presence so near her. His gorgeous body, his beautiful face only inches away from hers, his lips… she was staring at his lips with no shame at all, then his eyes. '_His eyes are so beautiful and deep, I feel like I could drown in them!_' Sakura thought with a clouded mind.

At the same time…. '_She's so close to me! I can practically smell her scent… cherries… oh, she's so sweet in every meaning of the word! If I could possibly reach out and touch her hair or her smooth skin. I'm about to explode!_' Sasuke felt tingles in his fingers and his being urging him to get closer, to touch her. His eyes were wandering over her body and especially lingered on a particular mesmerizing part on her face… her lips. '_She has wonderful lips and I remember the feeling it gives me when they moved together with mine… she's too perfect for words!_' Then his eyes wandered a bit higher and clashed with her green pools. '_She's looking at me! She's actually looking at me or more like staring at me, which is exactly what I'm doing! I should look away, but I can't! I feel like I'm glued to her entrancing eyes! I feel like I'm drowning!_' At that moment, he was leaning in closer and closer and to his utter surprise she was too. However, the school bell rang and they both snapped out of the trance they were pulled in. As quickly as possible, they were both already in the classroom and sitting as far away as possible from each other.

Sasuke was staring out the window and Sakura at the floor as both of them were contemplating about what had just happened. Their insides were burning and they could both feel the same tingles going through them. Although, the interesting part was that neither tried to deny anything.

When Kurenai-sensei entered the classroom, they were both trying very hard to pay attention to what she was saying, but to no avail.

Sakura was sitting and looking in front of her, but she was willing to scream at the top of her lungs because the feelings going through her at the moment were too overwhelming and making her mind spin.

Sasuke was doing completely the opposite. Instead of paying attention to his feelings, he let those feelings overwhelm him and the only thing on his mind was Sakura, who was all so perfectly in the range of his view and inviting him to do things he never ever did with Sakura. He was staring and drooling, feeling no shame at all from the dirty thoughts running through his mind.

"Class, we'll be doing a small activity today, but first I will have to divide you into groups of two and the partners assigned will stay partners for the rest of the year and work together on all the projects given," Kurenai-sensei spoke in a very professional manner. She then continued with announcing the groups and assigned their new seating arrangements.

However, the two entranced teenagers were only partially paying attention to her words, until… "...and, the last two are Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke." They both in an instant snapped their attention to what Kurenai-sensei had just said. "Please, sit at this table up front." She motioned to both to come and take a sit at the destined table. "Those will be your sitting arrangements till the end of the year, students!" she finished while taking a seat at her chair and writing something down.

Sasuke and Sakura were already walking to their table, but when she sat down on her chair, she looked at him and couldn't believe what he actually did. '_Oh. My. God. He smirked at me with that sexy smirk of his! I'm burning all over! He's so freaking hoooootttt!_' Sakura thought while looking in the other direction and started to fan her face with her notebook.

Sasuke's smirk grew when he noticed her actions. '_So, she still has the same reactions like before, interesting, very interesting,_' he thought, while still looking at her.

And then "Oh, and before I forget, Sakura, please bring another microscope from the storage room. We lack one and we need it for today's assignment. Your partner can help you," Kurenai said as they both froze. "Here, take the keys!" Kurenai motioned for Sakura to take the silvery items.

They were both exiting the classroom when Kurenai remembered something, "I have to warn you that the door gets automatically locked and there's no keyhole on the inside…" but she stopped talking when she noticed they were already out the door.

The tension was building between Sakura and Sasuke as they walked toward the storage room. They didn't dare utter a single word along the way.

After unlocking the door, Sakura entered the storage room and motioned for Sasuke to follow her. When both were inside she spotted the needed item on a small desk. "You can take that one." She motioned toward one of the microscopes and Sasuke started to pick it up when the door slammed shut. They both turned around and Sakura, immediately upon noticing the lack of a keyhole, started pushing the door handle in an attempt to open the door. She fumed in anger and started flapping her hands in the air while muttering incoherent things, "Stupid door, stupid assignment, stupid, stupid, Biology class!"

She then abruptly turned around to face Sasuke, only to be met with a very predator look in his eyes. He started walking towards her, never taking his eyes off of her. She backed away until her back hit the door, but he never stopped until he was standing right in front of her.

"Sa-Sa-suke-kun…?" she stuttered.

He brought his hand to touch her cheek. He caressed it very softly, enjoying every second of it, then glided his fingers along her jaw, traced her bottom lip at which Sakura shivered. Suddenly, he pressed his lips on hers.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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A/N: Thanks to all of you for reading the first chapter. I hope you liked it. Please, review! I'll really appreciate it. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2: Broken Heart

**A/N:** The song used in this chapter is _"Cry"_ by _Kelly Clarkson_.

Thank you, Mojo-Jojo13 for being the best beta reader ever!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or the song in this chapter. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**2**__**nd**__** Chapter:**_ _Broken Heart_

At that moment, he made a move and with no second thought, kissed her. Sakura was at loss for words. Actually, she was at loss of many things, one of them being not able to move. Her eyes were wide open in utter astonishment as she gazed at what was in front of her, which were Sasuke's closed eyes.

'_His eyes are _actually_ closed._' Her own thoughts were the result of her disbelief in what in reality was happening. Then, something made her change her mind as she felt like the ground beneath her disappeared.

Sasuke began moving his lips against her own. The butterflies fluttering in her stomach announced her nervousness, as the tingles she felt throughout her whole body were urging her to respond and touch him. The fire spreading and burning through every cell in her body was the proof that she felt alive and that all this was real.

Sasuke was completely lost in the moment, engaged in his own fiery actions as all brain functions shut down. Surprisingly, he was not forceful or trying to get her to respond to his lips' movements. All he was willing to do was enjoy the feelings that overwhelmed his being, while treating her in a gentle and caring manner. He felt fire build in his veins, boiling his blood.

'_I can't believe I'm doing this, but it feels so good._' His brain was finally responding to what was happening. He still did not care that no reaction was coming from the pink haired beauty. All that mattered to him was that it was Sakura. He was kissing_ her_ lips; he was touching _her_ soft skin, and it was _her_ body that was so close to his own.

Sakura realized that he was kissing her very softly and the caresses of his hands were very gentle. The feelings his actions brought to her were unbelievable. The fact that it was Sasuke who was treating her with all the gentleness he possessed and touching her as if he cared for her deeply, was a pure surprise to her. Actually, she was not a bit concerned about her shock or her disbelief. All that mattered to her was that she felt as if she were in heaven, enjoying the best moment of her life. Those feelings gave her the power to finally respond. At first, all she did was move her lips the same way his did, but she was not satisfied with only that. This kiss was something she would enjoy fully, grasp everything that was possible, and intended on taking it all in.

Her first response was not what stunned him or made him lose all control he possessed, it was the second action she took that set him on fire and evoked new feelings in him; intensified feelings of what he felt just seconds before. The moment she put her small hands around his neck and brought him closer, it stirred huge excitement in him. He was not able to help it anymore, so deciding on the next daring move that could bring him everything he wanted now, he traced her bottom lip sensually with his tongue, and he did not let it linger there in attempt to dare her to make the next move.

With a gentle touch of her fingers on a very sensitive spot on his neck, followed by a rough tug on his raven locks, and her own tongue tracing his lips, it brought the passion between them to an even higher level. Satisfied with her actions, he proceeded with his own teasing and nipped her bottom lip, which made her gasp in surprise. Sasuke used this to his advantage by pushing his own tongue inside her mouth, tasting her entirely. His gentle touch never changed, only the passion in his actions grew. The way he caressed her tongue with his own, evoked her to respond making the intensity of their infatuation with each other something they have never felt before.

'_Oh. My. Gosh. I missed this… so… so much!_' Sakura was absolutely blown away by the lip lock. She was enjoying it too much for her own good. Her brain was part of another world at that moment, presumably some fantasy world of her own where everything was perfect. At least, the kissing in such a passionate way with the one she was in love with made her feel like being in the most beautiful place ever imaginable. The one living in the real world and finally able to say something was her inner.

'**Yeah**_**, go girl. We're back in the game!**_' She was practically shouting in excitement and pure ecstasy. Sakura had not even noticed what her inner said.

Lead by the pure blissfulness of the kiss, he daringly deepened their lip lock, an action she gladly accepted. He knew she enjoyed due to the quiet moan she could not manage to contain. That sweet sound coming from her almost made him lose his mind. He was barely able to suppress the urge to move his hands onto forbidden places, or ravage her neck with his lips.

Perhaps a factor to this uncontainable expression of feelings for the both of them was due to their long distance separation. Every feeling that was building inside of them for these past couple of months, and especially the past couple of hours, exploded in just a single moment. Whatever the reason, they were both completely out of control and lead by the pure fervor of the kiss.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed and especially that they were not doing what they came there to do in the first place. However, the need for air was the cause for making them both stop with their actions. They were both out of breath, their hands still on each other, and their lips almost touching. Their hot breaths were mingling together, which still kept them in their world full of passion and adoration.

She was staring deeply in his onyx eyes with all feelings present in her eyes, at the same time he was staring into her jade orbs with no attempt to hide what he felt also. The look in each other's eyes was full of love and admiration for one another. Sadly, neither of them actually grasped what the other's eyes expressed. She did not allow herself to hope, while he was trying to run away and ignore the overpowering feelings, just as he did months ago.

When realization hit him, he stepped away from her. His mind was able to perceive everything he felt at that moment. He knew these feelings were nothing new, but he suddenly wanted to run away from her, as fast as possible. '_I shouldn't have let this happen. What was I _even_ thinking? That's it, I wasn't t thinking. I have to get out of here and fast!_' Sasuke thought to himself, still looking at Sakura.

For a very short moment, Sakura was able to distinguish something different flicker in his eyes. At first, she thought she saw fear in his eyes '_Why fear? I don't see a reason for him to fear anything._' However, she quickly ignored her curiosity and did not try to find out what it was. She was already preparing for the pain that was surely going to hit her like a giant rock the moment he would say something. Opposing to what her mind was processing, her inner did not know what to say or think.

"This means nothing; it was just a very stupid act on impulse." He tried to explain in a very cool manner, which he managed to do for the most part. All he was thinking about was what would she say, what her reaction would be, or if she would believe his excuse, and leave everything as it is. When it came to _her_, his feelings were very contradicting. On one side he wanted her for himself, and on the other, he did not want to feel any of the emotions she made him feel. The worst part of it all was that he was not even aware how messed up he was.

She was right, after all his words did hurt. She was expecting it, but it still did not spare her from breaking. Her love for the onyx eyed teenager, who stood in front of her, was too immense to be ignored, or to not cause her pain. When you look at it as realistically as possible, this is what love brings. As much as it can evoke a smile and bring joy to the heart, at the same time, it can also create tears and break the same heart. "Believe me, I know. Either way, it would not have changed anything." She was surprised at how calm she sounded. Her words should have uncovered her broken self.

'_**NO! What are you doing? You'll ruin everything!**_' her inner screamed in fear of losing the beautiful experience that just happened.

'_What are you talking about? What is there to ruin? You heard what he said, everything is already ruined,_' Sakura replied to her enthusiastic self with the throbbing pain resurfacing after his words replayed in her mind. At that, her inner, without saying a word, left to mope in depression.

Not expecting that response, Sasuke was hurt as well because her words stung him like salt on a fresh wound.

They no longer continued with their conversation when the click of a twisting key echoed throughout the small compartment. After the door handle was twisted and the door opened, a redhead girl with eyeglasses was seen standing at the door. She seemed excited for some reason, but after seeing Sakura standing there, she scrunched her face in disgust. Her reaction was not surprising at all. Since Sakura started dating Sasuke it was widely known that she was on the hate list of every fan girl.

Moreover, Karin being his number one fan hated Sakura with so much intensity that it was somewhat scary. Sakura being famous did not help at all; the fan girls, especially Karin, hated her even more. That was the reason for the heated look full with spite the teen idol received from the redhead. The fun part was that Sakura did not care at all.

The jade-eyed girl directed a repugnant look towards the hate filled girl and spoke in a very nonchalant way, "This must be my lucky day." Sarcasm was dripping from Sakura's every word.

Not knowing what to answer back, Karin averted her attention towards Sasuke and beamed a smile that was supposed to look sexy. To her huge displeasure, her attempts in flirting went unnoticed because he was too busy looking at Sakura. In desperate attempt to gain his attention, she started speaking to him in a too sweet voice to actually sound nice. "Are you okay, Sasuke-kun? Did she do something to you?" The only thing she managed to affect was Sasuke's up chuck reflex.

"Hn," he coldly responded and continued to ignore her, which caused Karin to get her feelings hurt.

At that point, Sakura was fed up of all that happened and left the room without a second thought. Sasuke followed right behind her, after taking the microscope they were sent there for to begin with. However, Karin blocked his exit. "Sasuke-kun—" her unsuccessful attempt to talk to him was once again bluntly interrupted. He fumed in complete anger and scowled at her. "Fuck off!" he spitted out, while pushing her out of his way. Karin was left to lock the door, dumbfounded and utterly disappointed.

Sasuke was annoyed to no end and glaring at anything and everything around him. _"Either way, it would not have changed anything."_ Her words were playing in his mind repeatedly like a broken record. The anger he felt was keeping him away from preserving his cool. What he did not know was that _he_ was the one that evoked those hurtful words by being the first to deny the meaning of the kiss.

They were both doing the same thing only for a very different reason; she was shielding the remains of her heart, while he was being led by his stupid Uchiha pride.

The rest of the class went in complete silence and complete denial of the presence of the other, except when an educational exchange of words was needed. Sakura felt utterly numb, which she enjoyed as much as possible. Not feeling anything at all was good, just for the sake of warding off the pain from her chest. At the same time, Sasuke was just being stubborn, rejecting everything that had happened, and even among the process of feeling angry, managed to make himself totally uninterested in the girl sitting right next to him. They acted as if there was a silent agreement between them — erase everything that happened and ignore each other. It all ended up with them accepting the role in being complete strangers to one another. Who knew that a simple kiss, and two stubborn people, could bring such performance on the surface.

When the school bell rang, Sasuke was the first to storm out of the classroom, which left Sakura relieved. It seemed that any kind of relationship between them was not possible. Nevertheless, who knows, miracles do exist. Maybe this was just the beginning of one.

* * *

After classes, the girls were walking towards the parking lot. While the three of them were talking and acting normal, the pink-haired girl just stared in front of her and walked in silence. This action was not unnoticed by her best friends that knew her well. She was always the most cheerful among them, and now she was acting no different from a cold statue, they were all worried, however, Hinata was the one who was most concerned for Sakura. She witnessed different types of behavior from the silent girl in just one day, drifting from joyful to completely vacant of any positive action. It was as if she was battling some kind of an internal struggle. What made Hinata get more worried was that it most certainly involved Sakura's emotions.

Ino was about to try and talk to her best friend out of worry for her well being, but was interrupted by a hand on her wrist. It was a clear warning to leave the conversation for later. Ino was astonished when she saw that Hinata was the one that stopped her. However, the blond forgot all about her shock when she saw the look she received from the usually shy girl. It was a suggestive movement of pale eyes that something was definitely wrong and now was not the right time to try to solve anything. Ino was now scared and worried immensely, while Tenten witnessed the whole exchange, and her concern was nothing better. After that, the girls made a silent agreement that the three of them would talk first before they approached Sakura with the subject.

When they finally arrived at the parking lot, they all noticed the little flicker of pain in Sakura's eyes, which was immediately replaced by one of complete relief. Their eyes followed to where her green eyes were looking and understanding washed over them. Their worry was not backing away as they noticed that she was blankly staring at the empty parking spot that was reserved for Sasuke's car.

Suddenly, Sakura snapped out of her daze and looked at the girls standing right beside her. They were very fast in hiding the concern that was very clear in their eyes and flashed their best smile toward her. She smiled back, but it was quite noticeable that the smile did not reach her eyes. "Girls, don't forget about the sleep-over today." Some sort of hopelessness could be perceived from the tone of voice she used, as if she was expecting some sort of comfort from her girlfriends. They were all willing to give it to her and certainly help her with talking her pain away.

"Don't worry, Sakura, we'll be there and have the best girl time ever." Ino was already attempting to cheer up the girl, as well subtly promise that she will be there for her no matter what. Sakura took notice of this, all the while the warm feeling was resurfacing in her chest.

"Ino is right. It will be the best comeback party you can imagine." Tenten was beaming a big smile at Sakura, while speaking in a very positive way that was supposed to bring the usual happy gleam in her jade eyes. It was successful at some point, since Sakura returned the smile and this time it reached her eyes, but only for a short moment.

"This sleep-over was the best idea ever, Sakura-chan. We haven't had the usual girl talk since you left." Hinata was giving her most positive energy through her sweet smile.

"Thanks," it was said in a whisper, but her friends heard it very well. Sakura felt thankful for having such great friends that understood her and would always be there for her. If a quality amount of time spent with the girls can not cheer her up, then nothing can. "Okay, Hinata, I'll pick you up at 5 this afternoon. Ino, you can pick up Tenten and then come to my place. I have to go now, see you later, girls!" she called as she started walking toward her white cabrio.

"Deal, see you later, Sakura!" the blonde loud mouth shouted loudly enough to make sure that Sakura, who was already entering the car, would hear her undoubtedly.

"Bye, Sakura-chan! See you at five," Hinata spoke with a smile on her face and a wave of her hand.

"Bye bye, babe!" Tenten smiled.

"Oh Hinata, before I forget… tell Naruto 'bye' for me!" Sakura hollered from her car seat and winked mischievously at the now blushing girl. The pink haired girl then smiled at her girlfriends and waved, before exiting the parking lot.

After being safe that no one would hear their conversation, Tenten turned toward the other two. "We've all seen the _slight_ spacing out, so the cause of the problem is already widely known!" the brown eyed girl spoke with irritation in her voice, obviously directed at a certain person with onyx eyes. "God knows what he did this time!" she huffed, while crossing her arms in front of her chest. It was a habit she possessed and displayed when angry at something or someone.

"Calm down, Tenten-chan, we still do not know the whole story. However, you are definitely right; it is because of something that happened between Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun. That much was obvious." The way the pale eyed girl spoke was very silent and the concern was present on her thoughtful features.

"The bastard must have done something terribly bad, because I've never seen her look this hurt," Ino added with scrunched eyebrows in worry.

"That is exactly why I was worried all day. She was acting strange since our first class, but I think that something huge happened after lunch break. The look in her eyes she had then was completely different from what we saw now." Apparently, Hinata was the only one not portraying resentment filled displays.

"I'll kick his sorry ass, until he begs for mercy." Blue eyes were fuming in fury, as the blonde spoke through clenched teeth.

Tenten's anger has still not subsided. "I'll gladly join you, Ino! He really is one ungrateful piece of shit!" At that point she too was seething in pure rage.

"Girls, you better calm down because the guys are coming over here," Hinata warned the two that still had a menacing glint in their eyes.

"Tenten, that was hilarious!" Ino immediately started laughing like crazy and hit said girl on the back in attempt to act as if the brown eyed girl said something really funny. It was surprising that Ino was the first to react and try to cover the tense situation.

Tenten caught up and laughed as well, while speaking through fake mirth. "I know, right!" After that the shy girl that rarely laughed in public joined the act.

The guys were already by their side and suspected nothing. Naruto was the first to speak; he could not help himself. "Wow, Hinata-chan, your laugh is really sweet. I should make sure that you laugh more from now on." He beamed a huge smile at her and winked for emphasis. That action did not help the already blushing girl.

'_Naruto-kun just winked at me. I think I'm in heaven._' Butterflies were fluttering inside Hinata's stomach due to the nervousness and excitement she was feeling.

"Naruto, as if you can make someone laugh. That is, unless you make a complete full out of yourself," Kiba spoke with mocking amusement, followed by his own laughter.

"This time I will ignore your comment, just because Hinata-chan wouldn't like to see us fight," Naruto said in a laid-back manner with his hands behind his head. However, he neared Kiba with a new placed menacing stare and spoke very quietly for only him to hear, "But, trust me I'll pay you back." He then stepped away with a challenging grin plastered on his face, while still looking at Kiba.

Kiba immediately accepted the challenge. "I'm not backing out, bring it on," he mouthed and Naruto understood where the end of their dispute would be.

Kiba then joined the rather amusing conversation going on between Lee and Chouji. Whenever those three started conversing on any topic, it ended up looking very funny for any outside viewer. They were discussing about some new video game, but the comical thing was that Lee looked at it from the aspect of competition, Chouji was talking about different types of flavors, and Kiba was bragging about the fact that he was unbeatable at it. It sounded more as if they were talking to themselves, without accepting what the others were saying. However, the important thing was that they understood each other and thought of it as a very exciting conversation.

At the same time, the others were engaged in different, but what seemed to them, rather enjoyable activities.

Tenten was whispering something in Neji's ear, which resulted in invoking a smirk to appear on his lips. He seemed pleased with whatever she was saying to him, as he gently placed his hand around her waist. She then gave him a short, but very sweet kiss on the lips and she received a look full of love from her boyfriend. He had no problem with showing affection toward his sweetheart in public; his feelings for her made him leave out some of his usual habits and actions. Tenten changed him and he never complained about it. He actually felt complete with her next to him and she felt nothing less. They were in love with each other, enjoying every bit of it.

Ino was flirting with Shikamaru, not caring if her affection would not be returned. Since receiving the response she wanted from him earlier that day at lunch break, she was more confident in her actions. She really enjoyed his company and especially when he flirted back, which happened at the moment as he laced their fingers together and smiled at her. Looking in his dark brown eyes, she felt really safe, as if she would be protected from any harm. She felt a very warm feeling melting her insides, while he was nervous by the whole situation that brought slight tingly flutters in his stomach.

They were a very unusual group of people, so different in personality, but still very close friends.

The whole group parted ways, as Naruto finally noticed the lack of presence of his two best friends and huffed in disappointment. '_I'll deal with the teme later, but too bad I missed Sakura-chan,_' he thought to himself, before turning toward his crush.

"Hinata-chan, wait, before we go I want to ask you something." She nodded urging him to continue. "Did you see Sakura-chan before she left?" Naruto asked showing pure curiosity on his face.

"Yes, I di-did. Wh-why do y-you ask, N-na-naruto-kun?" The girl could not help but stutter because he was staring deeply at her with his blue eyes.

Naruto then looked down with a very troubled expression on his face. "Because she promised she'd wait for me here after classes. She was spacing out on our Computer Science class, so I wanted to ask her if she was okay. Now I am positive that something is wrong, since she left without a word. " It was then that Hinata noticed the worried look on Naruto's face. She was not taken aback at all by his distress concerning Sakura. It was widely known that the pink haired girl was his friend since forever and she was very important to Naruto. Actually, she was as important as Sasuke was for him.

"N-naruto-kun, don't be upset about it. The girls and I will take care of everything." Hinata absent mindedly placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Seeing Naruto worried made her feel very sad.

"Oh, well, okay then. Anyway, I would not be of a big help. She should have a girl talk about this," he spoke while showing a small smile. He felt a little reassured after hearing Hinata's words, and knew that Sakura would be all right.

"Why do you say that? Do you know something?" she asked looking a bit surprised. After giving some thought it was no surprise at all; Naruto knew Sasuke better than anybody else, while Sakura's eyes could never lie in front of the blonde.

"I don't know what happened exactly, but I'm positive it's something about Sasuke. He left without a word, too, which has never happened before." He leaned in as he spoke very quietly in a secretive manner, which made the girl blush a very deep red. His face was merely inches away from hers. The worst part was that he was completely oblivious of the affect he had on this girl.

'_Oh my, his face is so close. His eyes are even more beautiful from up close,' _she thought to herself as she felt fire spreading throughout her whole body. Somehow, she managed to answer back, all the while stuttering like never before. "W-we th-thought th-the e-exact sa-same thing. S-she w-was st-staring at his par-parking sp-spot an-and spa-spacing o-out." Finally, he backed away a bit, after which Hinata was able to try to regain her composure again. He stared in a small dot on the asphalt with a thoughtful scowl on his face.

Upon noticing his expression she said, "Don't worry, Na-naruto-kun. I'm su-sure she'll be feeling be-better after we ta-talk to her. Y-you s-should t-talk to Sasuke-kun." She hoped that this would bring back the huge grin on his face. She felt like her heart would melt when she saw the smile spread on his face.

"Okay, Hinata-chan, I won't worry anymore. I trust you and I will definitely talk with the teme." His smile brought her to smile back at him. His bright blue eyes were staring intensely in her pale lavender ones. Too bad they did not know that their hearts were beating very fast in the same rhythm. It was sweet how they were falling even more in love with each other after every little exchange that occurred between them.

After a minute or so, Hinata broke the silence surprisingly without stuttering. Perhaps, the idea of having a casual conversation with him was slowly making her feel more relaxed when she was around him. "By the way, she told me to tell you she said 'bye'."

"That is great! Thanks, Hinata-chan." He smiled broadly at her. "Come on, I'll take you home now." He then took her hand in his, and started walking toward his car. At that gesture, the shy girl did not blush a deep red, but a small pink dusted her cheeks. With every moment she spent alone with him, she felt even more comfortable in his presence. The best thing that could have ever happened to these two was Neji buying a new car.

* * *

Sasuke stormed into his room practically fuming with anger. For a split second he stood, staring at nothing in particular. The look in his eyes was the proof that his mind was somewhere else. He did not know exactly why he was angry, but he knew what caused him to feel that way.

'_I was so careless. What was I even thinking today?_' That exact question was going through his head over and over for the past couple of hours. His brows were furrowed in pure irritation, directed toward his own inability to control himself.

'_This is unacceptable, I'm always in control. I should never let this happen again._' The determination in his own words could not be found in him. He could still feel the sensations from the kiss, which was precisely what kept him away from the resolve he was seeking. '_This whole thing is so annoying. Everything about _her _is annoying._'

He never actually realized that she was good for him and being with her made him feel great. It was annoying to him only because she was occupying his mind too much; she was like a nuisance that would never leave his thoughts, bugging him to no end. He never thought about someone for such a long time and the feelings it evoked in him is exactly what terrified him.

He then slammed the door behind him with so much intensity that the sound echoed throughout the whole mansion. Luckily, none of his family members were home, which meant no disturbances for him and exactly what he needed now; some time alone to try and forget about everything that happened between him and the girl that was currently occupying his mind. He plopped onto his bed after turning up the volume of the music playing. The heavy rock music was supposed to work as a distraction, not a likely escape from his current thoughts that could not stray away from the pink haired beauty, even if he tried to force them out.

**::Flashback::**

Sasuke was eating dinner with his family when his cell phone beeped, announcing that he had received a message. He flipped it open and saw that it was from his girlfriend, which did not surprise him at all. What did surprise him was the coldness of the words; she usually wrote something sweet and never missed to say 'love u' or put one of those smiley faces in the messages for him. However, this time, it was only a simple line that sounded more like an order. 'Meet me at the café at 8 sharp. We need to talk!' His confusion was probably plastered on his face, hence the stares he received from his parents and even Itachi, who just lifted a brow in question.

"Is something wrong, Sasu-chan?" his mother broke the silence and looked him directly in the eyes. She always did that when she tried to have a very serious conversation with her boys, which unnerved Sasuke.

"No, there's nothing wrong," Sasuke answered stoically and continued to eat his meal, feeling a bit worried, but he did not let it show on his face.

"Then, why did you look so confused? Who was the message from?" Itachi asked without even casting a single glimpse at his brother.

"Since when do I have to tell _you_ anything? It is none of your concern," Sasuke seethed through his teeth. Mikoto did not like his tone and especially his words, so she warned him with her piercing stare.

"Whatever, you don't have to tell me. I know it's from my little sister," Itachi spoke while staring at Sasuke with a menacing glint in his eyes. He suspected that something was wrong, which did not please him in the least.

"Is everything okay between you two, Sasu-chan?" Mikoto sounded worried as she asked; all the while, the confusion would not leave her facial expression. The last time she saw Sakura was the day before and everything seemed to be great between the girl and her son. She could not believe that she was asking such a question.

"Hn," was Sasuke's only answer.

"Mom, be prepared for the worst. Your son is an idiot and I have the feeling that he did something very stupid," Itachi said, still never averting his menacing stare he had directed at Sasuke.

After Itachi's words, his mother was already internally panicking, which was also shown on her face. She knew that her first son was very perceptive and if Sasuke and Sakura broke up, she would be devastated. In her eyes, they were perfect for each other and she really liked the idea of having the pink haired girl as a daughter in law.

"Itachi, Shut. Up. Stop interfering in _my_ life!" Sasuke literally shouted at his brother and glared at him, before dropping the eating utensils he was holding in his plate with a bit too much force. He felt very angry at the moment, while still glaring at Itachi.

"Both of you stop. I will not allow such conversation while we are having dinner," Fugaku spoke with a very commanding voice, glancing at both his sons for a very short, but significant amount of time. His word was law in the house, and no one tried to disagree with that fact.

"Just don't screw it up, Sasuke. Even if you don't realize it yet, she's good for you,"

Itachi spoke to his brother nonchalantly, nevertheless giving him a meaningful look.

Sasuke chose to ignore his words as he stood up and exited the dining room. He only had 15 minutes to get to the café and did not plan to be late.

_**15 minutes later…**_

Sasuke was in front of their meeting place at precisely 08:00 pm and from the outside, he could see that his girlfriend was already inside waiting for him. He entered the café and while walking toward her he noticed the empty look on her face. Her eyes seemed distant which got him worried.

"Hey," he greeted her as he leaned to kiss her on the lips; however, she averted her head, making his lips kiss her cheek. Sasuke was utterly surprised at that point, but mostly concerned that something bad might have happened to her. "Are you okay, Sakura? Did something happen?" he could not hide the concern in his voice as he asked and sat on the seat across from her.

"No, nothing happened, and I am okay," she answered without even sparing a glance at him. He knew that she was lying to him, but thought better than to push the subject — if she wanted to tell him, she would.

"Anyway, I asked you to come here for a reason," she continued, astonishing the raven-haired boy yet again, by instantly approaching her motive in asking him to meet her here. She never did that before, so he felt like he was having a meeting with some random person and not his girlfriend.

"Aa, I know," he casually said, as he missed the slight pang of hurt that flickered in her green pools, evoked by the sound of his voice. After all, she was still not looking at him, while he was practically staring at her.

"Well…" she trailed off for a second or two, as if she was hesitating on what she was about to say. She took a big intake of air and after releasing it in attempt to gain courage, continued "I think we should break up." At that moment, she looked him in the eyes and Sasuke saw the coldness inside them. He was tremendously taken aback by her words. He never thought that the day would come when she would say those words to him. "…and, for a fact I know that you want that too, so this should be a mutual agreement," she said the last line apathetically and she sounded so much like him.

"Sakura, so you are saying that _you_ are not the one braking up with me, but you think it should happen as some sort of an agreement between us both, because you assumed that this is something we both want," he stated, without even grasping what he actually said.

"That is precisely what I'm saying, only I never assumed anything. I actually know that you want this relationship over." Sasuke could not believe that this was actually happening — her being so cold and distant and them talking about breaking up.

"Okay, I won't lie to you. I have definitely thought about it, but—" he was interrupted by her indifferent voice that sent chills through his whole body. It made him feel like thousand of knives were stabbing him through his chest. She never made him feel this way, and he hated it.

"That is all I needed to hear. So, agreed?" she asked before averting her eyes away from him.

"I guess?" he wanted to say something else, but he was at a loss for words. He wanted to see what she felt at the moment by looking her in the eyes, which was a vain attempt on his side, and not because she was not looking at him. He managed to see inside them, but what he saw was emptiness, no flicker of any feeling, even their green color seemed dull.

"I really have to go now. Goodbye, Sasuke-kun," she spoke with a very quiet tone, as she looked him in his onyx eyes for a fleeting second. Sasuke was in too much shock to actually be able to respond. He just stared at her and could not believe how cold and distant she sounded. Never before had he seen her like this, without the beautiful smile on her face. Even her eyes were empty, when usually they shone with all that cheerfulness she always possessed. She constantly had a reason to be happy about something. He was wondering why she was so different today, and why she was so cold.

Sakura stood up slowly and walked toward the door without even casting a single glance back. As Sasuke watched her leave, he felt something tightening around his heart, not knowing what that feeling was. Everything went in slow motion in front of his eyes, as if he unconsciously wished for the time to slow down. He somehow had the feeling that he would not see the pink haired girl for a very long time. Finally, after replaying the previous minutes in his head he realized what actually happened. '_We really broke up,_' he thought, as he felt sick to his stomach.

There was no pleasant feeling flowing through him, all that was left was the unexplainable pain and the urge to throw up. Sadly, he did not know what it was and decided to ignore it all together. He stood up and walked out of the café, with no expression on his face, but sadness was present in his eyes. That night he did not sleep at all.

**::End of Flashback::**

After replaying that fateful night in his mind, Sasuke wondered if he really wanted that break up in the first place. He could not identify the feelings he had for Sakura, but he was aware that they were strong. The worst thing was that he still denied the fact that he might be in love with her; he actually refused to think that it was _love_. The more appropriate term, or better said, the one he accepted, was already going through his head '_Infatuation._' He nodded to himself while thinking about it. In his mind it all lead to the fact that he only felt infatuation toward her. '_Or lust. It must be that,_' he thought before trying to think of a possible solution that would get those feelings out of his system. '_I can certainly control myself. I am always cool and I can definitely think of her as one of those girls that mean nothing to me. I am an Uchiha for crying out loud!_' Those thoughts were the resolve he was looking for. However, he needed much more than that.

Suddenly, he was very aware of the music playing, due to the fact that it was irritating him. He stood up to turn it off; he was not in the mood for anything, and especially not for something that could aggravate him even more. He decided to stay in his room with his thoughts to keep him company, still involving his ex-girlfriend, and his plans on how to stay cool around her. He plopped on his bed with no expression on his face and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Later that day, Naruto came to Sasuke's house for their planned basketball game. When inside his best friend's room, the blonde was a bit surprised by the image in front of him. Sasuke was literally just stretched out on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with his feet dangling at the bottom. He never witnessed such an act coming from the biggest supporter of the phrase 'time is precious'.

"Hey, teme," Naruto greeted in attempt to stir some sort of reaction from the current daydreamer, but to no avail. Said boy was still lost in his own thoughts without even blinking. For someone it would look like he was in a shocked state of some sort. However, that was not the case when it came to the one currently standing right beside his bed looking down at him. Naruto knew what the cause for this sort of behavior was.

"Hey, teeeeme!" the hyperactive boy practically shouted down at his friend with his hands cupped around his mouth for emphasis. If this did not work, Naruto would be outright astonished, which it actually did happen. "_Okay, this _is_ concerning. Something bad happened between them,_" he thought to himself while scrunching his face in a very thoughtful manner. A new idea came to mind, before walking toward where the CD player in the room was. He turned the volume up and pressed play.

The music was so loud that not even Sasuke could have ignored it. He abruptly lifted himself up in a sitting position and glared at Naruto. "Turn it off, Naruto," he stoically said with no expression whatsoever on his face.

"Okay, I will," Naruto said as he turned the player off, before averting his gaze toward Sasuke. "But I am not happy seeing you like this. You will just have to tell me what is wrong with you." The worry in the tone of his voice was obvious.

"It's nothing," Sasuke spoke in a very quiet tone, which was a first. He then closed his eyes and let out a huge breath of air.

"It's not _nothing_, it's definitely something. Today after school was over you left without a word and now I find you like this. Talk to me, Sasuke." At that point, Naruto was pleading his friend to say something. He knew that talking about it would make Sasuke feel better.

"Just let it go." An indifferent set of words was the only response the blonde received, which did not surprise him much.

"Sorry, but I can't do that. I am your best friend! If you can't tell me, then who—" what Naruto wanted to say never got out of his mouth, as he was interrupted by a phrase that he least expected.

"I kissed Sakura!" That line was the only thing that was said, with some emotions portrayed on Sasuke's face, since Naruto entered the room. The words burst out of his mouth intentionally; he could not take Naruto's imploring anymore and he knew that the only thing to stop him was to at least give him the answer he wanted. Although, after that outburst, he knew that he would never see the end of Naruto's questions.

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, as was totally expected. A dumbfound look was present on his features as he stared at Sasuke for quiet some time.

That stare irritated the raven-haired teenager and he plopped on the bed with a loud thud. Dealing with the loud-mouth and his displays of shock was not something he wanted at the moment. Therefore, he decided to ignore it and prepared to answer any question thrown at him from the blonde.

"When?" Naruto finally managed to ask. That was all he could at the moment being as stunned as he was, besides the many questions swimming through his head. However, he had time and the questions would definitely be asked.

All Naruto received was a detached answer in return, "Biology class."

"In front of the whole class? WOW! I didn't know you were into PDA." Naruto sounded quite surprised, as he continuously nodded his head to emphasize his astonishment.

"No, dobe! We were locked up in the storage room," Sasuke practically shouted out of pure irritation caused by his friend's words.

"What the hell were you doing in the storage room and on top of all… locked up?" The loud mouth asked with a flabbergasted expression on his face. He could not believe what Sasuke was telling him; it all sounded so unbelievable to him.

"Because of that stupid assignment," Sasuke furiously stated, with clenched teeth. He was angry at the whole situation that occurred and caused him to lose his cool, all for the stupid biology assignment.

The boy standing in the middle of the room totally missed Sasuke's reaction, out of confusion. "What assignment?" he asked in a thoughtful manner. Only Naruto could be curious about unimportant things.

"That's not important, dobe! The point is that the door closed and we were locked inside. Then, I could not take it anymore… I mean she was standing right there, looking so beautiful… I wasn't even thinking clearly." Sasuke spoke in a very thoughtful way, as if he was somewhere else with his thoughts. His mind was filled with images of Sakura, which brought forth all of the feelings the kiss had made him feel hours ago.

"Oh. My. God. Teme, you want her, really bad!" Naruto was snickering as he directed a mischievous look toward Sasuke.

"I do not, it was just a one moment thing, and I am already over it." Sasuke suppressed the blush that threatened to creep up his neck.

"Denial would lead you nowhere. By the way, I do not even want to hear what happened next. I already know that you said something very hurtful!" The blonde exclaimed in a very laid-back manner as if he knew exactly what Sasuke said to Sakura.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted indifferently.

"No wonder Sakura looked so miserable today and left early." Naruto did not even realize that he had mouthed his thoughts aloud.

"What did you say?" Sasuke instantaneously lifted himself up from the bed with a curious expression plastered on his face.

"Hehe, nothing, I was… just thinking about… about—" the blonde was stuttering while at the same time trying to think of something to cover his slip. He felt a bit nervous, as it was obvious. It was not Naruto's intention for Sasuke to hear anything on how Sakura felt about the whole _thing_ that happened between them. Naruto was a great friend and was not the type to spill stuff that was supposed to be kept private.

The casual tone in the voice of the raven-haired boy interrupted Naruto's attempt to find an excuse. "Anyway, it doesn't matter." Obviously his hope that Sakura felt sad and probably did not mean what she said, was very short lived. '_"Either way, it would not have changed anything." _' Sakura's words flashed through his mind and he did not even notice the little pang in his chest, for it was very short.

"What are you talking about, teme?" Naruto asked a bit confused.

"She already said it herself. It's over between us and nothing can change that." He gazed at the ceiling with his onyx eyes that looked quite empty at that moment. The words that came out of his mouth were making him feel many things, so he instantly willed himself to forget all about it and act cool.

"I wouldn't bet on it, if I were you. I'm pretty sure she said that right after you spout out something in your own style," Naruto stated with an edge to his voice scolding his best friend.

"Whatever, I don't care anymore," Sasuke stated with a very stoic look on his face. '_She means nothing to me._' He desperately repeated those words in his head as he tried to make himself believe in them. He then pushed all thoughts away and remembered of a thing that could distract him. "Come on, let's play some ball," he stood up and motioned for Naruto to follow him.

"Teme, I'll kick your ass this time. Believe it!" Naruto shouted while punching a fist in the air.

"Yeah, right, dobe!" the stoic looking teenager huffed mockingly, as he pushed his hands in his pockets and exited the room.

Naruto followed, while mumbling some nasty comebacks at his best friend/rival.

* * *

Sakura was driving toward her house with Hinata sitting on the passenger seat. The usually shy girl noticed the shallow look her friend's jade eyes held. Nothing changed since she left the school parking lot, not even her disinterest in starting a conversation. It was the blank stare that gave away everything she felt at the moment. Hinata's lavender eyes were almost starting to tear up at the thought of what might have happened to have made her feel this way. She decided that she and the girls would have to talk to Sakura as soon as possible.

Couple of minutes later after their arrival at Sakura's house, Ino parked her car in front of the house with Tenten sitting right next to her. They joined the other two in the kitchen where the pink-haired girl was already preparing some fruity cocktails. Hinata noticed that they were no longer trying to conceal their concern and that both of them detained definite determination to start a serious conversation with Sakura.

"Hey, Ino, Tenten," Sakura greeted them, without averting her attention from what she was doing. It was enough that she heard the footsteps of the two girls for her to know that they were there.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino greeted back while taking a seat across from her best friend, who was still fully concentrated in preparing the drinks. The blonde exchanged looks with Hinata, which gave her the sign that they should already try to talk to her.

"Hey, babe, what are you making?" Tenten asked before taking a seat for herself right next to Ino. She was trying to lighten up the mood before they started the bitter topic.

"Nothing much, just some non-alcoholic cocktails I learned to make while on the tour," she answered nonchalantly as a small smile was spreading visibly on her lips. Apparently, some pleasant memories went through her mind, but sadly, it lasted a very short time. Her mind was instantly swarmed with images of onyx colored eyes and the sensations of the kiss that brought back the feelings of pain and discomfort at the same time.

"That sounds great," Hinata spoke with an attempt to sound cheerful, after noticing the small flicker of pain in Sakura's eyes, as was perceived by the other two. The four girls were very close friends, inseparable since kindergarten. Whenever one of them was sad, the others would feel the same. They were each other's support, a shoulder to cry on, and always there for one another to make all the uneasy feelings go away.

"Actually, I am making different flavored ones for each, using your favorite fruits," Sakura added casually.

"That is really sweet, Sakura. I cannot wait to try mine!" Tenten exclaimed, leaning on the counter to better see how the drinks were made.

After placing the cocktails on a platter, Sakura directed the girls toward the living room. They all followed and took a seat on the comfortable cushions placed around the table. "Okay, girls, we should decide which movie we'll watch, and later it's surprise time," Sakura smiled broadly at the thought. She would really like to see if the girls would like the presents she brought.

"Sakura, wait a second. We have to talk, first," Ino spoke with a mild serious tone edged to her words, which surprised Sakura. It was hard for the blonde to interrupt the girl's attempts of straying her mind away from Sasuke, but this was inevitable and also for her own good.

"About what?" Sakura asked all the while being aware of what Ino's intentions were.

"Do not act like you don't know what I'm talking about." She gave a piercing stare with her blue eyes that spoke of her own feelings. It was making her miserable to see her friend going through a heartbreaking moment all by herself.

"I am seriously clueless. I would appreciate it, if you just told me without beating around the bush." It was complicated for Sakura to talk about the whole situation, since it caused her so many different feelings, so pretending to not know was the easiest thing to do.

"Okay, I will." Ino exchanged looks with the girls, as they silently urged her to continue. She then looked Sakura directly in her jade eyes, before speaking, "It's about you and Sasuke. What exactly happened between you two today?" she asked quietly in a comforting way, detached from anything that could possibly make Sakura feel pressured. The pink-haired girl was extremely grateful that her girlfriends knew her so well and would be there for her no matter what.

"Nothing," she silently answered, while unconsciously turning her head sideways in attempt to hide her eyes from her friends.

"We know something happened, and it is obviously bothering you," Tenten spoke with concern visible in her eyes. The thing that mostly worried her and the girls was the fact that Sakura never had the chance to _really_ talk with them about the break up. She delivered them the news through a phone call, while on her promotional tour.

"You can tell us, we are all here for you, Sakura-chan." Hinata placed her hand on Sakura's hand in a soothing way. She knew that this was a very touchy subject for the girl.

"I do not want to talk about it, so just let it be." She was still not at ease with talking about it. In addition, showing that she still harbored the same feelings for Sasuke was very difficult. She thought that if she never spoke of it, it would make the feelings disappear.

"We can see the pain it caused you. It is better to try and talk it all out, don't torment yourself any longer." Ino's words touched a sore spot, which almost caused a few tears to spill from the girl's jade eyes, but she never let them fall down.

"He kissed me," Sakura hurriedly spoke with a very quiet tone, while looking at all her friends with teary eyes and some sort of an anxious expression. She did not know what kind of reaction would come from them, positive or negative. The girls gasped downright astonished and just stared at her.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were at the basketball field, still playing their game after a whole hour and a half. The score was tied, and it was quite a tense moment, since the next shot would decide the winner. Naruto was so determined to win the point by making his newly created dunk move he kept up his sleeve for moments like this one. However, his attempt went down the drain when Sasuke made a steal for the ball that would leave anyone breathless. He was so fast that Naruto could not even react. The raven-haired teenager jumped, making a swift twist in the air, followed by him dunking the ball in with such force that the whole board shook.

"Dobe, what was that about _you_ beating _me_?" Sasuke mockingly smirked as he caught the ball in his hands and chucked it in the direction of the blonde's head.

Naruto ducked to avoid being hit by the ball, before pouting, "Teme, that was a lucky shot, I almost had you." He crossed his arms while that small pout was still present on his lips. _'Damn, I did not even_ _manage to make my new_ _move._'

"I wouldn't call my signature move a lucky shot," Sasuke boastfully stated, before turning on his heal to make his leave toward the house. Naruto walked right behind him still shouting some comebacks at him.

When almost in front of the main entrance of the house looking sweaty, they could see Itachi getting out of his car. They were not at all surprised to see him, but the smirk on his lips was nothing positive in the eyes of Sasuke. He hated when his brother would do that, it always meant that he had something awfully wicked on his mind.

"I still don't understand how Itachi managed to get a car that is not even meant for production sale," Naruto stated being very curious about what he just said. Whenever he asked Itachi how he got the car, he always received a completely different answer than the last time, which by the way was said in a pure joking manner. It was impossible to get any sort of information from the always cool Itachi, who revealed only what he wanted to be known about him.

"He loves to brag constantly about being above everyone else, so driving a unique car is no exception," Sasuke stoically answered back. He did not care much about what his brother did in his life.

"But he is still a very cool brother, you have to admit that at least," The blonde spoke sincerely. He witnessed many moments when Itachi showed brotherly affection toward Sasuke. It was quite obvious, in Naruto's eyes, that Sasuke was really important for Itachi, that he would do anything for his little brother.

"Hn. I guess so," Sasuke said after pausing for a second as pleasant memories flashed through his mind. He never actually thought about it, but he always had great time with him — except when Itachi was teasing him — and was grateful that he had a brother of the like.

"Sasuke, Naruto! Hitting the basketball field, huh?" Itachi unemotionally asked, with his smirk still present on his lips. Only he knew what was going on in that head of his, or better said, what he planned to say to simply annoy Sasuke.

"Yeah, and let me guess... you've been showing that silver _thingy_ on the streets," the overly enthusiastic boy spoke, while jabbing his finger in the direction of the special ride.

"Aa, you can say that. There is a girl who is a car freak, but extremely hot. She is a bit feisty and rough around the edges, but nothing I can't handle," Itachi spoke casually; that was his way of speaking when bragging about something. The only noticeable difference was in his eyes. There was always a glint of superiority in his eyes that made him look invincible and supreme over everything or anyone.

"So, you decided to tame her, huh?" Naruto was enjoying himself; it was always entertaining for him to hear Itachi talk like this. "HA-HA-HA!" He laughed at the memories of witnessing Itachi's ways of dealing with women. The older Uchiha was a real charmer; no girl could resist his appeal.

"Idiots," Sasuke muttered in utter annoyance. These types of conversations were bothering him extremely, especially when they were between Naruto and Itachi; it was exceptionally awkward in his eyes.

"Speak for yourself, little brother." There was that smirk again. If he could choose to annoy Sasuke until no end it would be accomplished with no effort at all.

"Yeah, at least he is trying to hook something up! You will never get a girl, acting like that, stupid teme!" He looked at Sasuke through half lidded eyes. His bright blue eyes were glinting with absolute frustration because of his friend's behavior.

"Dobe!" The infuriated looking Sasuke just glared in return.

"Speaking of _you_ and the females, how was today at school?" Itachi lifted his eyebrow, casting a look at Sasuke, all the while his smirk broadening. He enjoyed teasing his brother, especially when it involved the pink-haired beauty. Right after he noticed that Naruto was snickering like crazy, he spoke casually, "Oh, I see there was some interesting development and I somehow have the feeling that it involves my little sister," which was entirely meant to irritate Sasuke.

"Stop calling her that!" Sasuke shouted at his brother, before directing a vicious glare in his direction.

"I hit it right on the spot," he stated with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "So, what happened?" Without moving a muscle, he only averted his eyes to look at Naruto, giving an obvious sign that he directed that question at the blonde.

"She looked awfully hot, your brother got turned on, and so the inevitable happened... he kissed her in the storage room," he answered using his laid-back tone, with his hands behind his head, before changing his expression in a mischievous one. He leaned in toward Itachi, pretending to say something very secretive when in reality he was also teasing Sasuke. "They were locked up, _alone_," Naruto whispered behind his hand while his eyes were trained on Sasuke in mocking satisfaction. He managed to anger Sasuke, as he received a death glare from those onyx eyes.

"Well, well, my brother is getting some after all." He directed a derisive look toward the younger Uchiha, before a small smile grazed his lips.

"No, he chickened out again!" The loud mouth flapped his hand to highlight the not so unexpected development, which was of course due to Sasuke's lack of emotional expression.

"Too bad, and I was hoping to see my little sister very soon," Itachi said while trying to figure out what Sasuke was feeling at the moment, by looking at his eyes.

"Stop. Calling. Her. That!" Sasuke menacingly gazed at Itachi's eyes, but he was not even planning on backing down. Itachi really wanted to make him realize what he actually lost when he broke up with Sakura.

"Tch. Even if you are not dating her anymore, she is still my little sister and no one can possibly take her place." Itachi's words were said in a very straight manner that stated his seriousness about them.

"Shut. UP!" Sasuke attempted an even more threatening stare that was supposed to work its magic, or at least give Itachi the sign that it was enough. The younger Uchiha hated it when someone crossed the line with him, and thankfully, no one ever attempted to try to put his temper to the test.

"But, teme—" Naruto was interrupted in an instant by the rage filled Sasuke.

"Dobe, YOU TOO!" he shouted at him, without even realizing how wound up he was. Poor, poor Sasuke, they really managed to anger him.

"Okay, I have to go now." Itachi gave a nod, before turning his attention toward Naruto. "And, Naruto, keep him on track. He tends to live in denial," he impassively finished with what he wanted to say.

"I'm trying, but he's so hard headed." Naruto was talking in a tone that gave the impression that he was tired from doing something repeatedly, in this case, trying to make Sasuke realize _certain_ things.

"Please, refrain from talking about me as if I am not present!" Sasuke scrunched his eyebrows in pure irritation as he gave them both a look of warning. Itachi just shook his head, and he walked away hoping that his brother would realize everything before it was too late.

"Whoa , teme, you really need to chill out." At this point, Naruto realized that they might have exaggerated by teasing him. He knew that this topic was also painful for Sasuke. He tried to apologize and at the same time comfort his friend by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever, just leave me the fuck alone!" The look in his eyes was definitely a proof of how he really felt. He could no longer keep his guard down, and all of the mixed emotions were showing on his face. Even if you looked deeply in his onyx eyes, the slight pain he felt was visible. He then shook Naruto's hand off violently, before taking his leave to go and take a relaxing shower in order to set his thoughts straight.

Naruto was left to worry and wallow in guilt. He just could not help but blame himself for making Sasuke this angry, when in reality it had nothing to do with him or anyone else. Sasuke was mostly feeling this way because of the whole situation and everything that happened between him and Sakura, but the biggest reason was his own mixed emotions.

* * *

"WOW! Sakura, I can not believe it!" Tenten spoke with astonishment evident in her voice and features.

"Yeah, me too, I am rendered speechless!" Ino barely managed to speak those words. She was completely blown away by what she heard just a minute ago from Sakura. Acting on impulse was something she never thought that Sasuke was capable of doing. In her eyes, she always saw him as an emotionless bastard who did not care about anything in the world other than himself, and always being in control over his own actions.

"This is so unexpected, Sakura-chan. Do you think he still has feelings for you?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice, not sure of how Sakura would react to her question. She was always the one that never lost hope, which was the case now. She shared the same thoughts with Naruto concerning the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura, and the way she saw it they were perfect for each other. So she always hoped for the best, where everything would be just right.

"No, I do not think he ever felt something for me." Sakura actually felt fairly relieved after saying that aloud. The huge pressure she felt building in her chest for all of these months was finally being released. It was as if she was finally accepting her words. "I don't even know what this was, but believe me, I am as shocked as you all are," she said those last words with so much ease. Being able to talk about it was definitely like a breath of fresh air for her mind.

It was quiet for a couple of minutes, where all of them were still consumed in their own thoughts over the situation. Before Tenten decided to break the silence, "Okay, since we are out of the shock wave, could you fill us in on the whole story. What did he do to hurt you this bad?" she asked while giving all her best not to lose her temper because of her words, and curse Sasuke for the rest of her life.

After hearing Tenten's question, Sakura took a long intake of breath in a desperate effort to calm her nerves. Her chest was tightening from going through the memory of it all. She released the air as if she held much more than just that, before starting to tell everything that happened from the beginning. With every single word that left her mouth, she felt her pain slowly ebbing away, although it was not completely gone. Her heart was still broken, hardly able to find something that would change the wrecked feeling. The girls were downright astonished by it all, especially that _he_ was the one that initiated the kiss. Tenten was fuming when Sakura got to the part of what he said, but she was not the only one with her irritation on a short leash.

"Bastard!" Ino seethed through clenched teeth, making the pink-haired girl stop talking. Upon noticing that she was the one that caused the interruption, she hastily apologized. "Oh, sorry, don't mind me, just continue." She urged Sakura to continue, before going on with her bad mouthing Sasuke in her own head.

"His words were so hurtful, but the kiss was something entirely special. I have never felt so utterly at heaven whenever he kissed me before. It felt so different," Sakura spoke while some of the pain she felt at the moment could be heard in her tone of voice. She was hurt because she knew that despite all those feelings it brought, the kiss meant nothing to him. "What I said to him was out of hopelessness to keep my heart from breaking even more. I did not want him to know what I still feel for him. If I were to say that I don't love him anymore, that would be a lie," as she said that, her hand was clutching the area where her heart was. The girls noticed this and saddened immensely at the sight. Tears started to brim their eyes, but they never let them fall out of consideration toward their distressed friend.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry." Tenten hugged Sakura in comforting way; she wanted to give her friend the open support she definitely needed at the moment. The other girls joined the hug in an instant, giving the girl the reassurance that would make her feel much better.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, everything will be alright," Hinata spoke through her heart, in a very sweet voice. She was always good at comforting people, due to her gentle nature.

"I really hope so, and I definitely promised myself that I would try my best to get him out of my heart." She wiped the liquid forming at the corner of her eyes. Months ago, she decided that she would never cry over him again, so she did that to the best of her efforts.

"That is what I call a first amazing step toward becoming completely happy, Sakura. You will feel liberated from such a burden because I see what a great pain he caused you so far. You don't need him." Ino gave her an encouraging smile as she accentuated her last words. She really wanted Sakura to free herself from all the pain Sasuke has caused her. She was very aware of the after effects the break up had left for her best friend, even if she could not be there for her at that time. It was very difficult for all of the girls to hear her cry her heart out over the phone, without them being able to give her the comfort she needed. They all felt distraught for such a long time, worrying over her well-being and especially her emotions. It was a great thing that the music, and her singing, helped her get over those moments filled with such heavy pain.

"It still hurts and I know that it would be very hard to forget about him, since I'll see his face almost every day." It was hard to even think about seeing him tomorrow and for the rest of the school year, especially after what happened today.

"Maybe you should find yourself a new boyfriend and try to focus on someone else. It would help you get rid of the pain for starters, but I also believe it will make you forget about him." The blonde always believed that 'getting another guy' was the solution to a broken heart.

"Yeah, Sakura, I agree with Ino. There are other fish in the sea, especially for a hottie like you. I'm sure guys would fall down on their knees for you and then you can choose whoever you like." Tenten smiled mischievously, trying her best to turn the girl's mind toward lighter thoughts.

"I'm very aware of that, thank you," Sakura mockingly answered back. She already felt better after having a conversation with the girls, where she could release all of her distressful thoughts and spill her heart out. She was very thankful for the comfort they all gave her; it was enough that they listened to her. _'But, Sasuke-kun is the one I am in love with. He is the only one I want._' She still could not help but think of her real feelings, but then she remembered all of those sleepless nights when she cried until morning. She finally felt like having the need to leave all of that behind. She was aware that this was only the beginning of freeing herself, but she also knew that she had to start from somewhere. '_I should really forget him, he caused me so much pain after all._'

"You know something, Sakura-chan. I have the feeling that after all of this, something definitely would happen to make you extremely happy," Hinata spoke with all honesty, while flashing her best smile at Sakura.

Hinata's words were exactly what Sakura wanted to hear at the moment. "Aww, thank you, Hinata." She smiled back at the lavender eyed girl, and was grateful for the amazing timing she had. "Girls you are my best friends, I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you all so much!" she spoke with enormous friendly affection latched to her words.

"We love you too." They all smiled at each other, before going for another group hug.

"Okay, and now it's party time!" Sakura broadly smiled, as the girls returned it after seeing that this time her happiness reached her jade eyes. Her eyes were no longer dull looking, the shine was back, and so was Sakura.

* * *

Within the rest of the week, things between Sasuke and Sakura turned out to be very intense. Everybody could feel the tension that was building up between those two, especially their friends who were around them most of the time. They were both ignoring each other, as if invisible to one another. The lunch breaks turned into a completely unbearably spent hour for the whole group. The usual comfortable atmosphere was no longer present on their table. Even Naruto could not do much, out of concern that he might say something that would make the situation even worse.

Things became even worse on Thursday while in Biology class. Their given assignment ended up in a complete mess at the end of the class just because of their lack of proper communication, which could be best described as extreme arguing over every little detail. Since then, the tension between them was not the only problem, or better said not the biggest problem. An entire new development happened; they were practically shooting daggers at one another with just one single look, acting as if they were at war and their friends were the ones feeling the consequences. No one dared to try to cheer up the situation.

It was on Friday at lunch break that Ino decided to take matters into her own hands. After all, this whole situation was getting out of hand and the worse thing was that it was affecting their whole group. All of them were afraid of the exact same thing, it was only the beginning of the school year, and Sasuke and Sakura were already acting like enemies. They had always enjoyed the lunch break, as they all referred to it as 'the relax time while at school' and that was not the case now. Therefore, Ino got an idea, and planned to make it work.

"Guys, I have excellent news!" Ino cheerfully exclaimed which brought an irritated face to most of the guys at the table. They were expecting something absolutely unimportant, caused by her too cheerful tone for their ears.

"Just spit it out, Ino," Kiba said impatiently. He received a glare from the blonde beauty, which did not last long, since she was in a very high spirit at the moment.

Ino continued to speak with the same cheerful tone in her voice, "As you all already know, tomorrow night is the opening of my father's new club, and—" she was interrupted by Shikamaru's lazy voice.

"Yeah, it is in every single paper," he spoke while resting his head upon his palm, looking as about to fall asleep. The non-conversational lunches these past days were boring him to no end.

"Don't forget the magazines. It is proclaimed as the event of the month," Tenten added happily.

"Exactly, and the great news is that we all have VIP passes." Ino clapped as a huge smile spread on her lips.

At that point, everyone at the table was already excited by Ino's invite. A party was always welcomed in their group, especially after the whole week's events.

"Alright, it's party time!" Naruto shouted as he jumped out of his chair to emphasize his excitement. Hinata smiled contentedly while witnessing his actions, at which Neji glared and shook his head in disbelief. "Teme, you are coming too, you know. Do not even think about saying no!" the blonde shouted, while resuming his seat in between Sasuke and his crush.

"Of course, I'll be coming, dobe," Sasuke answered back a bit harshly before averting his gaze toward Sakura. He stared at her intensely, and waited for her to look at him before speaking in an almost teasing way this time, "I would not miss it for anything in the world." He quirked an eyebrow at Sakura with what seemed to be in a suggestive manner in her eyes. She stared at him in utter astonishment with her mouth slightly open. He surprised her greatly, made her think that she was seeing things. After realizing her reaction, she quickly regained her composure and looked in the opposite direction. What she missed to witness was the small smirk on his lips evoked by her reaction to his manifestations. He became entirely amused by her at that moment, which probably brought this playful side of him out on the surface.

Sakura joined Ino and Tenten in their girly excitement on planning what to wear. They started asking Ino if she knew which celebrities would be attending, totally forgetting about the fact that one was already sitting among them. However, that was quite expected, since all of them looked at Sakura as a normal person and most importantly their best friend. That was what made the pink haired girl extremely relieved and happy. All of her friends never changed their attitude toward her; she could be a star for everyone else in the world, but these people around her would always think of her as one of them, their friend.

The usual chatter was back between them all. Ino really did her job this time, which made her feel very proud at herself after seeing the result. Even, Sasuke seemed to devise a completely new plan considering the pink-haired beauty. After seeing what affect he had on her just minutes ago, he could not help himself in thinking about other possible reactions he would stir from her. He was very aware that he was mad at her before, but now after seeing that small blush on her cheeks, he had other things planned in his mind. _'She won't_ _know what_ _hit her._' After that thought, a mischievous glint could be seen in his eyes for just a second, and luckily for him, no one noticed.

* * *

**~.~.~.~Dream~.~.~.~**

A pink haired woman with a sweet smile spreading on her face entered her daughter's bedroom, quietly tiptoeing toward the bed. The girl that was supposedly sleeping heard the soft footsteps coming closer to her. She decided to ignore the sound and continue with her comfortable slumber.

"Sakura," the woman spoke very softly, while placing one hand on the girl's shoulder, nudging it gently, "Honey, wake up."

"Ugnh, a few… more… minutes, mom. Please," the latent girl spoke with a very drowsy voice that made the woman beam affectionately.

Then she turned on her heal and walked toward the door, but a very mischievous grin was spread on her face. "Okay, suit yourself. I will leave the important looking letter that came for you this morning at the counter in the kitchen." Her mother sounded very casual while she spoke, but the face she made betrayed her intention. She was trying to catch the girl's attention, which seemed to be working, since her eyes were no longer closed. "Oh and… did I mention that I believe it's 'the letter'?" she continued to speak, but this time more teasingly.

"WHAT?" Sakura literally screamed jumping out of the bed with the speed of light. She was in front of her mother in an instant reaching to snatch the white envelope. "Why didn't you mention that earlier?" The letter was already in Sakura's hands, as she inspected it carefully. The anxiousness she felt made her fidget in one place. When she read who the correspondent was, she beamed a very hopeful smile. At that point, Sakura started to feel a bit hesitant in opening the letter and seeing the contents inside.

"Good luck, honey," The woman spoke fondly in encouragement, as she stroked the pink locks of her younger lookalike. "Go on, I have a feeling it will call for a celebration." She smiled gently, and nodded toward the letter.

"Okay, here I go." Her small hands were shaking out of nervousness, as she closed her emerald eyes and let out a breath in an attempt to calm her tense body. Finally, she opened the envelope and slowly took out the folded white sheet.

_Dear Miss Haruno Sakura,_

_We are very satisfied with the material you sent us. We think of it as something fresh and new, that suits our expectations to the fullest. You are a young and very talented artist, which is exactly what we are looking for at the moment. We will be extremely happy to see you as part of our group of artists._

_We want you to sign with us on recording an album that would include all of your songs. The contract will also include touring, merchandise and other rights. The first promotional tour will happen right after the album is completed._

_You are most welcomed to come at our head quarters so we could further discuss the contract details and all other matters. We will be expecting your arrival by the end of the week._

_Sincerely,_

_Mashima Inoue_

_Chief Creative Officer of_

_Rock n' Star Music Group Inc._

"Oh. My. Gosh. Mom, they loved my songs and want me to sign a contract with them! They want to record my first album!" Sakura was jumping up and down out of pure excitement. "I am going on a promotional tour this summer!" she exclaimed cheerfully with a huge smile spreading on her lips. The happiness she felt at that moment was something she could not express with words. She was genuinely content because her dream was becoming a reality. It made her feel as if she was part of some fairytale.

"Congratulations, Sakura." Sakura's mother smiled at her before she engulfed her in a warm embrace. "I'm so proud of you." She pulled away and looked at her daughter with teary eyes. She felt truly happy.

"Mommy, thank you. I love you so much." Sakura smiled, as she returned the embrace. Then, her thoughts strayed to a particular onyx eyed boy that held a very precious place in her heart. '_I should go tell Sasuke-kun,_' Sakura said to herself; he was one of her most important people and sharing her happiness with him was something she enjoyed greatly. "I will take a shower and then I will go tell everybody."

"Sure, honey." After placing a kiss on Sakura's forehead, the pink-haired woman exited the room.

'_This is so exciting, I can't stop smiling. Sasuke-kun will be so happy._' Sakura giddily smiled at the thought. '_I should hurry._' With that thought in mind, she hastily ran toward her bathroom.

Later that day, she was waiting at the front entrance of the Uchiha mansion. She still held that happy smile plastered on her lips; it never left her since the morning. '_I can't wait to tell Sasuke-kun…. And Naruto, and then the girls. Everybody will be so thrilled,_' she happily thought, as the door was opened. The servant admitted her politely and she walked up the stairs to where her boyfriend currently was… his room.

As she walked toward the door, she heard Sasuke speak through the small gap from the slightly opened door. "Naruto, I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure, teme. What is it?" Naruto sounded greatly unfocused, as if he was not really paying attention to what his friend was saying to him. Sakura thought that he was probably playing some game or something. She was already at the door, about to knock on it.

"I'm serious, you have to listen." When she heard those words, she hesitated on entering. She did not want to interrupt their conversation that appeared to be very serious, considering Sasuke's tone of voice.

"Okay, Sasuke, I'm listening." She heard the soft thud of an item falling to the ground, most likely dropped by Naruto. At that moment, she decided to leave them alone for a while and that she would wait downstairs for the time.

As she turned on her heal to walk off, something made her stop and freeze in place.

"I was thinking… I was thinking about breaking up with Sakura." She felt her insides turn upside down at his words and the whole world seemed to collapse around her. The seriousness of his voice was like a knife stabbing her heart.

"WHAT? Why would you do that? I mean, you two are perfect for each other." Upon hearing that last statement she was about to cry, out of pure sorrow. This whole thing made her extremely sad and what Naruto said just intensified her feelings. She could no longer believe in such a thing.

"I do not think so. I am confused about my feelings… and positive that I do not love her. I just cannot keep going with this relationship… It's driving me crazy." His confession broke her completely.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Naruto's voice reached her unconsciously, but in reality, she was no longer paying attention to what they were saying. Her mind was too preoccupied by her own aching thoughts.

"My feelings, they're too intense. I have never felt like this before… and those thoughts are consuming my mind every single second." At that moment, her mind was not there, and her ears shut. She never received Sasuke's words, as if surrounded by heavy silence.

"Well, I know what makes you feel that way, and breaking up with her is just going to make things worse." She was entirely consumed in her own pain to even hear Naruto's words, and left just as Sasuke was about to speak.

She ran out of the Uchiha mansion, without even casting a single look back. Her mind was spinning in circles, and everything around her was just a blurred image. His words were ringing in her ears over and over again, clouding her head. She walked down the streets robotically, her legs moving with a mind of their own. She felt lost, the ground beneath her feet was gone, even the air could not seem to reach her lungs. The people around her gave her strange looks, but she did not appear to notice anything, she just stared blankly in front of her.

_If anyone asks,  
I'll tell them we both just moved on  
When people all stare  
I'll pretend that I don't hear them talk _

She still couldn't believe what just happened, what she accidentally heard. '_He doesn't want me. He doesn't car,._' she thought, as she felt a huge throbbing nip through her chest. '_I am no one to him. I loved him, but he never loved me back._' Her thoughts were killing her slowly and painfully. In reality what destroyed her minutes ago were Sasuke's words. '_I am so stupid._' She repeated for a couple of minutes, before her mind went blank again. Even her inner self did not say a single thing. They both felt the same way… HURT.

_Whenever I see you,  
I'll swallow my pride  
and bite my tongue  
Pretend I'm okay with it all  
Act like there's nothing wrong  
_

She just kept walking toward her house, absently following the right path. The aching feelings were eating through her. Nothing of the previous pleasant emotions were left; she totally forgot about the letter. She felt as if her body lost all of its heat; it was like ice, frosting through her whole being.

_Is it over yet?  
Can I open my eyes?  
Is this as hard as it gets?  
Is this what it feels like to really cry?  
Cry  
_

Sakura walked through the threshold of her home with a wounded expression on her face. The tears welling up in her being were still not spilling over. She kept the painful release inside, only to be let out when no one could see them. She could not take it if someone saw her cry and then, inevitably, feel sorry for her, that act would merely hurt her more. These tears were something she needed to keep for herself, never to be let out and everyone else to see them.

_If anyone asks,  
I'll tell them we just grew apart  
Yeah what do I care  
If they believe me or not  
_

As she walked toward the staircase, the same ones her mother was descending at the moment, she had to suppress the tears threatening to spill. It was harder for her not to cry when her mother was there because she felt like she needed her support. However, she decided that she would not let her tears spill in front of anybody. Upon noticing the huge smile on her mother's lips, she remembered the great news she received that day and thought of how ironic it all was. In one moment, she felt as if she could conquer the whole world, and only minutes later, the world came crushing down on her.

"Okay, I will make arrangements for the party. I think we should do it tomorrow night just before you leave. That way, you can say goodbye to everybody." She heard the eagerness in her mother's voice and felt bad for what she was going to say next, for it would ruin the excitement.

"No, mom, there won't be a party. I'm leaving tonight; I already booked a plane ticket." She lied about the last part, but planned on doing just that when in her own room. The tenderness of her voice, betrayed her broken heart. She looked so fragile at the moment, as if her feelings were exposed for everyone to see. Her jade eyes looked remotely far away as her thoughts traveled through the not so distant past event. Every time she remembered _his_ words, the hurtful feelings rose immensely.

_Whenever I feel  
Your memory is breaking my heart _

Her mother noticed that there was not a single trace of happiness in her daughter's eyes, which caused her to worry tremendously. She could not let her only child go away for such a long time looking so heartbroken. It would leave her with not a single moment of peace. "Honey, are you feeling alright? Would you like me to get you something special?" she spoke with motherly affection, the worry building in her blue eyes.

"I'm fine," she sounded so distant when she answered.

_I'll pretend I'm okay with it all  
Act like there's nothing wrong  
_

The now worried woman noticed that alone time was what her daughter needed at the moment, so she decided to let her be. "Alright, I believe you." She would leave her daughter to cry out all of those unpleasant feelings and talk to her later. '_For now_' it aggrieved her to see her only child looking so inconsolable. '_Sakura, what happened?_' The question that was not asked aloud went through her mind.

"I'll go and pack my things," Sakura said before disappearing into her own room, shutting the door with a soft thud. Everything she did, every small detail of her movements spoke what was in her heart. She could not possibly cover up, or mask her feelings, and the sad part was that she was not even trying to do something like that. The feelings were too great to even try to hide them; the effort would make her feel more tired than she felt at the moment.

_Is it over yet?  
Can I open my eyes? _

The second the door closed, tears started rolling down her smooth cheeks. She lowered herself on the ground, clutching her middle in attempt to lessen the sting piercing her soul. Sitting there, she did not move an inch for a very long time. As the time was slowly passing by, her cries became even louder.

_Is this as hard as it gets?  
Is this what it feels like to really cry?  
Cry  
_

A long time passed, before she started thinking lucidly. Thoughts of what would happen after their break up came to mind; what would she say to all of her friends. Relief washed over her when she remembered that she would be gone by tomorrow morning. It would be much easier to lie to them through the phone, even though they would know that she wasn't telling the truth. It would be very difficult for her if she had to speak to them in person, or even worse, see _him_.

She was very thankful for the time that was given to her, she would be able to compose her own emotions. She decided to liberate herself from all of the build up feelings the only way she knew how. After getting up from the floor, with her cheeks wet from all the tears she cried, she took a piece of paper and a pen. She started writing down everything she felt, in the form of words.

_I'm talking in circles  
I'm lying, they know it  
Why won't this just all go away  
_

Her tears were staining the white sheet of paper, now filled with sad words coming right from her heavily wrecked heart. A soft melody was playing in her mind, linking with the lyrics she wrote. Her undying cries were the only noise heard among the walls of her room, but all that was in her mind were the soft notes played by her own feelings of pain. That night a new song was created from the bottom of her soul. It helped all of the hurtful feelings leave her heart, as if the white paper absorbed them all in.

_Is it over yet?  
Can I open my eyes? _

**~.~.~.~.~**

Sakura jumped out of her sleep, tears rolling down her cheeks. The dream brought all of those painful feelings on the surface. She was hugging herself, a desperate attempt to keep her heart in one piece. It was all to no avail because the still raw memories weren't leaving her mind.

_Is this as hard as it gets?  
Is this what it feels like to really cry?  
Cry_

The hurt she felt that was tightening her chest, could not subside. It was like déjà vu for her, experiencing the same ache all over again. She allowed herself to cry once more for him, let the feelings suffocate in her own bitter tears. This would be the closure she was seeking, the one she needed in order to leave the break up behind. She lied down, curled herself in a ball, and let the tears fall.

Sakura would _cry_ it all out, this one last time.

_Cry_

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Chapter 3: Unforgettable Memories I

**A/N:** The songs used in this chapter are: _"Outta Here"_ by _Esmée Denters_ and_"Remember December" _by _Demi Lovato._

Thank you, Mojo-Jojo13 for beta-ing this chapter for me!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, or the songs in this chapter. I do not own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**3**__**rd**__** Chapter:**_ _Unforgettable __Memories_

_-part 1-_

Couple of hours had passed and her crying had finally stopped, leaving her with none of those painful feelings she felt before. She was tossing and turning in her bed, not being able to drift into a comfortable dreamless slumber, when in reality she felt as if in a desperate need of one. Even though her crying gave her the most relieved feeling possible, it still made her feel very drained. Being bothered with the same thoughts for the past couple of months and surrendering her heart to the unbearable feelings was so tiring. Finally, feeling completely at ease with whatever thoughts came to her mind, she realized that crying it all out was what she needed in order to leave the unpleasant memories behind. It was just like opening a blank page in her life, except that she never allowed herself to forget the beautiful moments they shared together. Those were something she would always keep as a treasure in her heart.

She remembered their first kiss and that he was the one that initiated it, which was a huge shocker for her. She developed romantic feelings for Sasuke since she first met him, but she never thought that he would actually want a relationship with her.

**::Flashback::**

It was a very dark and cold night at the beginning of December. Sakura and Sasuke were standing in front of the mall, waiting for their best friend Naruto. The mild smell of snow that filled the air alerted their senses, making the both teenagers even more agitated with the whole situation. The fact that they waited for him for a whole hour and a half was not making their annoyance subside, even though Sakura displayed much less of her irritation out on the open.

Sasuke was practically seething in anger and even though Sakura's temper was gone since the first ten minutes passed, she was constantly thinking about Sasuke and how to calm him down because she could feel all the anger radiating off of him. She certainly didn't enjoy seeing him like that. "Sasuke-kun, please calm down. I'm sure Naruto had a really good reason to be this late," as she finished talking her jaws trembled due to the cold weather that was affecting her immensely. She was literally freezing, which her reddened cheeks gave off.

"How can I possibly calm down? I'm going to kill the dobe!" he shouted, but when he turned to look at her, he stopped, looking quite worried for the girl in front of him. "Sakura, you're freezing. Are you feeling okay?" he worriedly asked her as he made a hesitant step toward her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I can manage," she lied, but her weak voice and fluttering of the words that left he mouth, gave him the real answer. He started to unzip his jacket to give it to her, but Sakura's shaken question stopped him. "No, what are you doing? You'll freeze!" she shouted, as she reached to zip up his jacket. As she did so, he caught her hand in his bigger one and smirked at her. She looked at him completely bedazzled by just looking at his handsome face and sexy smirk. The blush on her cheeks would have been completely noticeable if it weren't for the cold weather that had already managed to flush her skin. She started to wonder why he was suddenly smirking, when just a minute ago he was completely pissed off.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, but I have to warm you up somehow." His smirk grew and the look in his eyes changed completely. "Come here," he whispered in her ear using his deep voice, just as he leaned to envelop her in a big hug. He started to rub her back and arms in attempt to warm her up. She felt like her knees would give out any minute now. All of a sudden, she wasn't cold anymore. A very strong feeling brought all the heat she needed. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her; that Sasuke Uchiha was actually trying to warm her up by the most adorable gesture possible.

It was then that the small fluffy snowflakes started to fall all around them, with only the streetlights to provide luminosity to the scenery. If there were anyone there to witness the scene, they would say that it was the most romantic thing to be ever witnessed. "Are you warm enough to run?" he asked her gently, which was another shocker for her. She had never seen him act like this and she wondered what had changed him all of a sudden.

"Why would I need to run?" She became very surprised by his question.

"Well, it's snowing and I wouldn't like for you to get sick." He released her then, to be able to look at her. She was about to faint, because of how close his face was to hers. "What do you say?" he asked again, before taking her hand in his, waiting for her answer.

She was finally able to respond, by whispering hazily, just the way he made her feel, hazy out of love, "Sure."

He tugged on her hand and started to lead her in the direction of his house that was their closest destination to hide from the cold and snow. They were running together under the falling snowflakes for almost ten minutes without stopping. She was almost out of breath, but she kept running because she didn't want to lose any of those wonderful feelings going through her. Her heart was beating so fast she could practically hear it in her head. This moment was something out of her personal dreams. '_No, it's so much better than what I dreamed of!_' she thought to herself, as her Inner self was already on seventh heaven.

When they finally reached his house, he placed his arm round her shoulders trying to warm her up again. Sakura blushed once again and averted her head to avoid his piercing stare. She saw him in a completely new light and she liked it even better; it was a mystery to her how he never showed this warm side of his before.

When up in his room, they took off their jackets and he brought a couple of towels so they would be able to dry their wet hair. Ten minutes running under the snow, managed to make them almost soaked to the skin. After drying themselves, everything started to get awkward between them and Sakura decided to break the silence, since the tension bothered her. "So, now what?"

Immediately he averted his look toward her and smirked in a very playful way like if there were some very mischievous thoughts going through his head. He started to walk toward her and Sakura couldn't even make a move to back up a bit because his onyx eyes were somehow incredibly captivating for her. She couldn't even utter a word, as he took her hands in his and in a teasing way slowly leaned toward her.

Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach, and she didn't feel cold anymore; it was just those entrancing feelings that enveloped her and warmth. The moment he touched her cheek, she felt enchanted by his gentle touch that tingled her skin like electricity.

Seeing him from up close, especially his lips that seemed so tempting at the moment, gave her the feeling that she was somewhere else… in another world, much better than the one she knew till this moment. Her lips parted unconsciously, her cheeks were flushed like never before, and she even stopped breathing. It was at that exact second, when she stopped breathing, that his lips finally met hers.

She couldn't believe it, her first kiss, and she shared it with Sasuke Uchiha, the only person that held the most precious place of her heart. It was more than she ever imagined… the sweetest kiss possible. He was a good kisser and very gentle in the way he moved his lips upon hers. She needed some time, before finding enough strength to respond to his actions. He was bold enough to deepen the kiss, which she gladly accepted and allowed the overwhelming feelings to take over her whole being. A very overpowering feeling took away her heart, as if she were alive to share this kiss with Sasuke.

Both were enveloped by the strong moment for a very long time, enjoying it extremely. When they finally separated, they were out of breath and extremely flushed, even Sasuke had a tinge of blush on his cheeks. They didn't move at all, just stared at each other, while trying to regain their breaths. She was completely taken away by his actions and unable to speak.

"What was that?" Sakura managed to say, finally being able to find her voice.

"It was a kiss, Sakura," he answered nonchalantly, while smirking at her. He seemed amused by her flustered state.

"I know that, but why did you kiss me?" she asked again, still feeling the impression of the kiss as it clouded her mind.

"You're incredibly sweet, Sakura." It was then that he smiled at her for the first time and in her eyes, it was the most beautiful thing she ever saw. His smile was beautiful, just like he was. He placed both his hands at the sides of her face and stroked gently, and by using his most seductive voice possible he asked her, "Would you like to go out with me?"

**::End of Flashback::**

It was definitely the best memory she had. However, everything seemed pointless to her now, after his obvious confession that he never actually loved her. She realized that the memories would remain memories forever and the reality, and certainly her future, had nothing to do with what happened in the past.

She could see the sunrays piercing through the draped curtains, and the sweet sound of the chirping birds announced that it was already morning. Unable to fall asleep, she decided that a morning jog could be very refreshing after all that crying.

While the morning air was flowing past her running figure, she found herself thinking about the current situation between her and Sasuke. Being no longer troubled by the break up with no sign of the sadness when she thought about him, lead her mind to a completely new set of thoughts. She remembered how their friendship was before they even started dating, and it gave her the courage to try and make everything between them normal, at least as normal as it would be possible. Instead of still walking on sorrowful grounds she would try to not think about what was lost or what could have been if she was still his girlfriend. Trying to get the friendship back between them was a much better solution for them both, although she knew that it would be hard to achieve . '_Acting the way I did would lead me nowhere good, not with my own feelings and certainly not with Sasuke-kun,_' she thought to herself.

Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to the events that took place the previous days, which brought back the memory of his suggestive actions he was obviously directing toward her.

_' "I would not miss it for anything in the world." '_ She could still clearly remember the words he said while at the same time stared at her with strong intensity. She knew that he was talking about their outing at 'Midnight', but she could not help but feel that it was more than just that. His teasing tone while saying that made her suspect that he might be planning something.

'_What the hell am I thinking? Sasuke-kun planning something with me, ridiculous. He's an ice-cube after all, just as Ino always says._' Her reassurance with it was not on the same wave as her confident thoughts. '_But still, why did he act that way? ...Whatever, it's not important. He must be enjoying himself with teasing me._' She internally smiled at that last thought. All of the things he did to make her flustered seemed pretty funny to her at the moment. '_I definitely have to control myself, if I plan to make our friendship work._' She was hoping that her new plan would also help her get over him.

With a refreshed feeling, she finished her early morning activity and went to take a relaxing shower. As she got out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy towel, she felt like listening to some music to complete her enjoyment. After turning on the radio, she couldn't believe her own luck, because one of her songs was being played. '_Someday, my own creation will be the death of me._' While that thought went through her mind, she changed the station and luckily it was a song she liked a lot and had nothing to do with her, and most importantly, _not_ splashing her own words in her face. All of the songs she wrote were inspired by her own life and as much as she enjoyed singing in front of a crowd, she was not always enthusiastic to listen just that.

In the meantime while going through her CD's, she came to realizes that some of them belonged to Sasuke, which made her remember of all the things she still had and were actually his. She thought that if she gave them all back, her letting go of him would be much easier to do. So, she decided to pack them all up at once and send them to his house. '_Yeah, that is exactly what I should do; it will be the first step in achieving my new goal._' After that thought, she immediately felt a bit more at liberty, as if no longer tied up to her feelings for him.

While she was packing all of his stuff, she came upon his dark blue shirt he once forgot at her place. That exact item reminded her so much of him and of all the great moments they spent together. She also remembered the many times she secretly wore that shirt at night while away on the tour, which were also the nights she most cried over him. Even when she brought it closer, she could still sense his smell. It almost made her lose her determination, but she never allowed herself to think of that possibility ever again. Going back to where her heart would never heal was not something she wanted. She hastily let the shirt fall in the box that was already filled with _his_ items. At that exact moment, she promised herself that she would definitely get Sasuke out of her heart.

She spent the rest of the morning listening music in her room, enjoying some of her free time which would soon be impossible to find in her packed up schedule. The 'no work' weeks her manager arranged for her were almost finished, and Monday would be the beginning of the opposite. '_Ugh, more work... plus I have to write a new song. At least that will be enjoyable, but I hate it when I have no time for myself or my friends._' Sakura already felt a bit annoyed with the fact those thoughts brought out on the open.

'_**You must mean, you will have no personal life whatsoever, again,**_' her Inner decided to show up with her own derisive remark.

'_I'll try to make a change. I will definitely find some way,_' Sakura was trying to think as positively as possible, and never lose hope that she could still have at least some of her previous life style. However, she knew that lately nothing in her life turned out the way she wished, which bothered her immensely.

'_**Good luck with that.**_' Those words were spoken with all the honesty her Inner possessed.

Sakura's internal conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, which she thought was probably her mother and it was confirmed as the pink haired woman poked her head through the now open door. Sakura smiled at her mother with a huge smile induced by the incredible mood she was in for the entire morning. "Hey, mom, what is it?" she cheerfully asked.

"Honey, your manager is here to see you, and she seems not too pleased for some reason." When she heard that doomed information, followed by the almost awkward smile she received, Sakura knew that something would ruin her 'should be awesome' day.

"Tsunade is here? Oh no, it's starting!" she huffed in anger, already preparing herself for whatever she would find out any minute now. Tsunade in the same sentence with 'not too pleased' never meant anything good.

Her mother looked almost surprised at Sakura's reaction. "What is?" she asked with a bit of curiosity in the tone of her voice.

"Never mind." Sakura stood up waving her hand to dismiss the question. She was already starting to get aggravated by only what was going through her mind. In all of her annoyed magnificence, she walked down the stairs toward the living room.

"Good morning, Sakura. How are you?" The middle aged woman tried to sound calm, but her expression made it quite obvious that she was about to get out of her own skin. Despite her age, or the creases between her brows, evoked by the irritation she felt at that moment, she still looked very young and beautiful.

"Now that I see the annoyed glint in your eyes that clearly states that you are extremely angry at something, not so good," the pink haired girl answered not so enthusiastically as she sat on the couch across from Tsunade.

"Well, I am extremely pissed off and it's because of the leeches once again," her loud voice echoed through the whole living room while her powerful fist shook the whole table. She was finally letting the bottled up rage out into the open.

Utter disappointment washed over Sakura after hearing the news. "Ahh, no! I hate those paparazzi. What is it now?" She was so tired of being constantly informed about those annoying paparazzi and how they would destroy her peace. Letting out a bored sigh, she rested her head in her hand.

Tsunade took a couple of breaths to calm herself, which proved as not being very helpful, before informing Sakura of the real reason she was here. "Firstly, your paparazzi free week is officially over. Secondly, it's starting tonight."

"WHAT?" an ear-splitting cry came out of her mouth as she gaped out of pure shock. "But, the deal was for two whole weeks," she added a couple of seconds later sounding somewhat more calmed, but her anger was evident by the scrunch of her eyebrows.

"Apparently they can't wait any longer, which is a lie. They expect some juicy pictures from your outing at 'Midnight' and that can't be missed, now can it?" The sarcastic sound to those words was intentionally pronounced with much hate in Tsunade's voice, obviously directed at _some_ certain people.

"We are so not giving them the picture time we promised since they are breaking the deal with such _dignity_," Sakura said as a menacing look was building in her jade eyes. It was incredible how much she started to hate those paparazzi, when she never hated anyone before. However, that was inevitable since all they did was ask her some really nasty questions. It always bothered her to hear stuff like that, especially because it was meant to provoke her and none of it was true.

"Of course they won't get that. Actually, I would never try to make a deal with those fakes ever again." The blonde woman was fuming as she spoke through clenched teeth. She was the type that would certainly find a way to get them back.

"Well, if we look on the bright side, at least I got _almost_ two weeks," the teen idol said with a grateful tone, as if what she received was actually a great gift. Not a gift from the paparazzi, of course; if she ever received something from them it would be a headache for sure. "By the way, I never asked, how did they found out that I'll be going to the opening?" She had quite a curios expression plastered on her face because as far as she knew, only her friends were aware that she would be going.

"They somehow found out that your best friend is the daughter of the owner and now they will be breathing down your neck for the whole evening." Tsunade thoughtfully rolled her honey coloured eyes; she was apparently thinking of a possible way to deal with said pain in the ass. After a minute or so, she dismissed those thoughts for later when she would be able to think it through carefully. "I received numerous calls this morning and they all stated that the deal is off. Ugh, I am so angry!" She never intended to sound that way, but the growl sort of slipped out of her mouth at that statement.

"Don't worry, I will sneak in somehow. I have my friends with me." Sakura was already trying to think of a way to slip past the annoying paparazzi.

"No, no way! I won't allow that, it is too dangerous. You are not going there without any security." Tsunade had a very serious expression, manifested with a look of warning she directed toward Sakura. It would never even cross her mind to allow something bad happening to Sakura. After all, the girl was a very precious person for Tsunade; she always looked at her just as a mother would see her own daughter. "Also, the deal states that you are not allowed to attend events as this one without your manager. As much as I hate to ruin your private life, it has to be done." She directed a look of apology toward Sakura.

However, Tsunade being there with her was not such a bad thing for Sakura. She loved and respected the woman immensely. "So, does that mean that I would be separated from my friends?" The idea of having to enter alone without her friends was what saddened her. This was the first night out with them, after all of those months when she had to go to clubs with people she hardly knew, and that's why it was important for her; she wanted to have real fun with her real friends.

"No, that won't be necessary... I rented a limo for 16 people. How big of a group are you exactly?" It was no surprise that Tsunade would already plan the whole thing in advance.

"Including me, thirteen." The answer Sakura gave was immediate, without the necessity to count. It was no surprise, since they were all friends from a very young age. She was also very relieved that Tsunade was such an angel and knew her so well.

"Great, I'll be with Shizune, so it should be fine," Tsunade spoke, while thoughtfully taking out a small white bedazzled device. "Oh, and before I forget, please do not forget to warn your friends that the entrance could be a little rough. I know how you always end up looking surprised when in reality you shouldn't be. You are a teen idol for crying out loud!" she screamed the last sentence. It was unbelievable to her how she never managed to make Sakura accept that _tiny teensy_ fact.

"Yeah, ha-ha," Sakura awkwardly smiled, after hearing that last comment Tsunade gave. She was already blushing just as she always did when she was uncomfortable with hearing stuff concerning her own fame.

"Most importantly, be prepared, some of those leeches might sneak in, so expect to be followed even when inside. They will be all over you, since you haven't made a public show in two weeks and you are their favorite at the moment," Tsunade was speaking with insane speed while at the same time writing something in her Blackberry. Apparently, multitasking was one of her many talents.

The good thing was that Sakura was used to this and had no problem following the habits of her manager. "Aren't you exaggerating a bit? This is not my promotional tour or anything. It's just a club opening." The tone she used was clearly stating her disbelief and disapproval of Tsunade's words.

"Of course not, however, you will believe it when you'll see the commotion that will happen tonight, just because of you," the blonde woman stated almost nonchalantly, while noticing that Sakura was rolling her eyes. Imitating the girl's actions, she spoke quietly for only her ears to hear, "At least I am here to take care of you."

Afterward she hastily stood up because she just remembered of an important meeting and she was already late. Tsunade continued talking as she walked toward the front door, with Sakura following her step. "Okay, I have to go now. I will get here by nine, so be ready, and tell your friends that they will be picked up by a limo." She winked when saying those last words. For her it wasn't news that a ride in a limo was enjoyable for anyone.

"Sure, sure, at least some of them will be thrilled about that." Sakura flashed a small smile, evoked by her stray of thoughts. She was thinking of how Naruto and Kiba would react to the ostentatious — in her opinion — ride.

"See you tonight, Sakura. Make sure you look extremely hot, because you'll be in all of the magazines' next issues." Tsunade teasingly lifted her elegant eyebrows at Sakura. She was always saying things of that sort to the girl and sometimes they would be _innocent_ comments concerning all of the guys who were checking her out.

"Yeah, right, is it possible to forget that _important_ detail when I have you? I don't think so." The pink haired girl smiled affectionately as she bid Tsunade a goodbye.

Afterward, she immediately thought of calling Naruto to let him know about the changes in their plans for tonight. She was definitely not ready to talk to Sasuke on the phone, but someone had to give him the information, and who better suited for the job if not his best friend Naruto. The girls and Neji could wait till later that afternoon while having a lunch at Hinata's house. Thinking of the others she could give a call, she excluded Shikamaru, because she knew that Ino would gladly do that task for her, but, then Sakura remembered that if she were to call Chouji, that genius plan would be ruined, so it would be best if Ino did that for her too. Moreover, that meant that the ones left were Sai, Shino, Kiba and Lee and it would be no problem for her to make those few calls.

Sakura went upstairs to her room, and after picking up the phone, she decided to dial Naruto's number first. While waiting for him to answer she sat on the comfortable chair right next to her bed.

"Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto answered with his goofy loud voice, which instantly made Sakura smile; she was really fond of Naruto and his frequently bright mood.

"Hey, Naruto, how are you?" she greeted him cheerfully.

"I am awesome. But, how are you? I was a bit worried, you know," he spoke truthfully, since his concern was present in his voice too. Sakura immediately knew why Naruto was worried, but she did not want to have to talk about Sasuke and the feelings she already decided to leave behind.

"Oh, you shouldn't worry at all because I am great," she answered a bit hastily, trying to turn the conversation in a different direction. "Actually, I feel awesome too, except that I will have to deal with the papz tonight." She huffed in annoyance, after remembering that small fact.

"Right, there will be papz tonight," he spoke in utter boredom, because that information did not bring joy to the blonde also. Even for him they meant 'definite pain in the ass'. "But I am glad to hear that you feel great. So, did you call me for any particular reason?" His usual grin was back on his face.

"Oh, right, I called to let you know that tonight we will be going to the club in a limo. My manager arranged it. That means... no cars," she stated nonchalantly, as if the idea did not appeal to her that much, which was actually true for one single reason — she hated pretentious stuff. However, she had to admit that the possibility of them all sharing a ride together was nice.

"Ahh... oh, that's okay, I guess," he spoke with a soft tone, unable to conceal his unhappiness with the news.

"What's wrong, Naruto? I thought you'd be pleased." Sakura was utterly surprised. It was not like Naruto to react so gloomy over such a thing.

"I am, I really am." Naruto tried to sound eager, but he could never manage to pull it off. The cheerless tone was still present in his voice.

"I've known you since kindergarten, and if I was standing right next to you, your eyes would say what your mouth isn't, so you better spit it out," Sakura demanded him to tell her the truth, without even really thinking about what the reason could be. The only thing she thought about at the moment was what was wrong and why Naruto sounded so miserable all of a sudden.

"Well..." When she heard his hesitance, she finally grasped what she should have a moment ago. She wanted to beat her own head for not figuring it out earlier.

"Oh. My. Gosh. I know why you are so down. It's because of Hinata, isn't it? You won't be able to drive her yourself." Sakura was really excited with her own discovery, but also because of how sweet Naruto was to want to be all 'gentlemanly' with Hinata and spend some alone time with her.

"Um... uh... you see..." Naruto started to stutter, unable to find an answer for his friend, which brought a huge smile on Sakura's face.

"Aww... Naruto you are so cute when in love. I am so happy for the both of you; you would be an amazing couple and look so cute together," Sakura said speaking in a high voice expressing her joyful feelings.

"In love? I never said anything of that sort, Sakura-chan, what are you saying? " He was smiling nervously, as it was quite evident that he wanted to cover up his real thoughts that he was really uncomfortable with expressing his feelings.

"You don't have to hide anything from me. I already know, you make it so obvious. So, when are you planning to ask her out?" Sakura enthusiastically asked him, all the while imagining the moment in her head, and thinking of how great they would look walking side by side with their hands intertwined.

"Obvious? Does Hinata-chan noticed? Please, tell me she didn't, and I really don't think that I can ask her out!" At that point Naruto was literally freaking out.

"Don't worry, Naruto. She hasn't noticed anything, trust me." She was fondly smiling at the moment, as her mind was swarmed with memories of how the two love birds acted around each other and how oblivious they both were. '_They are so perfect for each other, it's insane._' Her smile grew at that thought, but then recalled Naruto's last words and her joyful mood went down the drain. "What do you mean you can't ask her out?" Her tone was a bit high, although she never intended to sound that way. Naruto must have had a good reason behind his words, she was sure of it, but still she could not help but feel somewhat distressed; she wanted for them to get together because that would certainly make them very happy.

"I just can't," he sadly stated, "What if she says 'no'? Or what if she doesn't like me that way? I've thought about it so many times and... I don't think I can handle the rejection." His fast way of saying all that surprised Sakura, but she was aware that he was deeply in love with Hinata, so his nervousness was to be expected.

"Oh, Naruto, please don't be sad." She couldn't just tell him that Hinata was in love with him since forever, that would be like a betrayal of a friend's trust. She knew that it could make Naruto happy and help him build up his courage to ask her out, but it was definitely not the right way to do it. "Everything will be fine, I am sure of it. I have the feeling that when you least expect it, something awesome will happen between you two." All she could do at the moment was try and comfort Naruto as much as possible, but she decided that she would have to think of a way to help them out; something that would make their feelings for each other obvious for the both of them, without her saying it to them.

"I really hope so, Sakura-chan. I really like her, and I mean, really, really like her!" Naruto spoke so sincerely, it made Sakura's heart feel like mush. It was really awesome that they returned their feelings with the same intensity, which was a rare happening. She could not allow herself to think of how Sasuke never returned her feelings, which in reality was something she just assumed and not the actual truth.

"I know, Naruto, and I believe she really likes you too." Sakura hoped that Naruto would take the small hint; it was the most she could give as means to encourage him.

"Yeah, but I still can't ask her out. She probably likes me only as a friend." Naruto was again completely oblivious, which made Sakura wonder if there actually existed another person like the blonde. She somehow knew that he was one of a kind.

"Naruto, I told you not to worry, okay? Everything will be fine. Now, let's change the subject, before I forget... you have to tell Sasuke about the change in plans." Her tone of voice was cool and normal, as was she. It seemed like she was doing quite well in letting him go, since it was the first time that she used his name without the suffix; it was more a thing she did with intention, then what came from her heart.

"Don't worry, I will inform the teme," he enthusiastically agreed, before remembering what he wanted to ask her since the moment she came back. "Um... now that you mentioned Sasuke-teme... uh... Sakura-chan, I was wondering..." he was a little hesitant about asking his question.

"Spit it out, Naruto!" Sakura shouted in the phone, which startled Naruto, something she always manages to do when she screams at him like that.

"How are you with everything that happened between you two? I mean you both broke up right before you left and now after you just got back, how do you feel?" After finally asking the question, Naruto released a huge gulp of air, as if freeing himself from the tension he felt for such a long time; although, his worries were not entirely eased.

"I'm fine. I don't care about what happened in the past between us. I'm beyond the whole break up ordeal with Sasuke. Even my feelings for him are not the same any more," she lied about the last part, but the bad thing was that she also tried to lie to herself with those words.

"I am happy to hear that." Naruto was definitely not convinced, but he had to give his support. He hoped that everything between his two best friends would turn out okay.

"Okay, I have to make a few more calls, so I'll see you tonight," Sakura stated cheerfully, smiling out of pure excitement for their night out.

"Sure, Sakura-chan, see you tonight. Bye," he bided her goodbye quite happily. He was really enthusiastic to go clubbing; it was always one of his favorite ways of spending time with all of his friends.

"Bye, Naruto," she said, before they both hung up.

After finishing her first phone call, Sakura continued to make the other ones. She received four different reactions, as expected from the four boys; they were all so different after all.

The next person she decided to call was Sai. His reaction was nothing unexpected since he was acting like his usual self.

"Ugly, nice of you to call me, I have never had a ride in a limo before, so it should be an unforgettable experience." He used his usual conversational tone, not in the least what he wanted to sound like, which was suppose to proclaim his excitement. Sakura was a bit irritated after hearing the nickname he always called her; she could not get used to it, under no circumstances, not even in million years.

What followed next was the short but funny conversation with Kiba.

"All right, a limo! You are awesome, Sakura!" he was literally shouting in the phone, at which Sakura had to remove it from her ear as she could still hear everything, even Akamaru's ecstatic barking. The dog was probably just happy for seeing his master so riled up.

Shaking her head at her friends earlier antics she typed in Lee's number. She prepared herself mentally for his affectionate words.

"Sakura-chan, that is so youthful of you to invite us all to ride with you." His first reaction was nothing compared to what followed it. "I am sure you will look youthfully beautiful tonight, my sweet cherry blossom. Will you promise to have one dance with me?" He was already drifting to a more suitable subject for a conversation with his precious lady.

"Yes, of course, Lee." Sakura smiled sincerely; she could never say 'no' to Lee. He always sounded so happy and she wouldn't want to disappoint him. It was really impressive how he never gave up and still proclaimed his love for her.

"Oh, thank you, Sakura-chan. You are youthfully sweet, as always." He sounded so happy after hearing her response, which was exactly why she accepted. His happiness meant a lot to her and she would give as much as she could to make it a reality. Although, they both knew that she could never return his feelings — love does not work that way — which was a bit saddening for him. However, he was always pleased with what he received.

Lastly, she called Shino. The conversation she had with him was just as normal as usual, which was a common thing for him.

"Okay, thank you for calling, Sakura," he moodily thanked her. He was not the type of person who talked much, with the exception of a meaningful friendly conversation. He always knew when a friend needed to have a talk and that is exactly what he did best; being there for his closest friends when they needed him.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the three girls were already at Hinata's house because of the invite for lunch they received. The weather outside was really pleasant, so the lavender eyed girl decided that it would be best for them to have their lunch out on the terrace.

"Hinata, I have to thank you again for inviting us to your house for lunch," Sakura spoke in all honesty, followed by her smile she directed at Hinata in appreciation.

"You don't have to thank me, Sakura-chan. Our parents are away and Neji had plans for today, so the company of my best friends is more than welcomed. I should thank you for accepting my invite." Hinata softly smiled back, while taking a seat at one of the chairs around the table followed by the other girls who did just the same.

"Don't be silly, Hinata. We gladly accepted." Ino waved her hand to emphasize the obviousness of her statement.

"Sure, you shouldn't thank us. We are best friends for a reason," Tenten added, as she affectionately smiled.

In the meantime, a very polite girl served them with drinks.

"So, should we start with the newest gossip?" Ino asked with an impish look in her crystal blue eyes. She was hoping they could already start with their daily routine of small _insignificant_ talk.

"What? Are you referring to the most fresh of gossips out there... that is bound to happen in less than six hours from now?" What was going through Sakura's head was nothing compared to what the girls perceived from her playfully asked question. Thinking that it was the usual hearsay talk was their mistake. She was doing exactly what she planned beforehand, concerning Ino and her scheming plans for the night.

"The opening of 'Midnight' is old news, Sakura!" Ino stated in a nonchalant manner, something she always did only when thinking that she owned the conversation. After all, she loved to gossip.

"No, I was thinking more about... the hottest hook up that would without doubt go off between _the_ Fashion Diva and a certain Lazy Bum." Her usual teasing was under way, just waiting for a reaction from the blonde. It was nothing new, this was the way Sakura always acted when with her three friends.

"Oh. My. Gosh. You are so mean, Forhead. Am I being that obvious?" Ino continued playfully and acted as if hurt by Sakura's words, when in reality she was extremely excited about the whole thing that was going on between her and Shikamaru. She hoped that her long awaited wish was going to come true and she would become his official girlfriend; after that thought consumed her mind, she sighed dreamily.

"Duh, it's worse than putting it on a gossip board." Tenten had to add her comment after seeing that Ino already started to daydream, which made the other two laugh in approval.

The laughing of the girls is what brought Ino back to reality, as she immediately proceeded with her joyful talk. "Now, that Sakura reminded me, the Fashion Diva—" pointing to herself in a joking manner, while directing a nasty look at Sakura for giving her that nickname, "—wants to know what you'll be wearing tonight." She then looked at Hinata and Tenten, suggesting that she was talking about all of them.

"I'll start. My dress is mostly blue, but there is some pale gold in it. It's all embellished with sequins. It pretty short and I'll pair it with dark blue high healed sandals," Tenten said speaking at a very fast pace with a casual expression on her face. Dressing up was not her most favorite thing, but she knew that sometimes it had to be done. She actually had a great taste and quite unique style that suited her perfectly.

"Sounds great, I can't wait to see it. Forhead, you're next!" Ino clapped before turning toward Sakura and nodding her head, with a huge smile on her face. She was always the one that was the most eager among them when they were discussing things involving clothes and fashion.

"Well, my dress is sugary pink and it's tight around the curves. The shoes are really high, I mean really high, and they match with the necklace and cuff. They're all from the same collection by _Versace_, except the dress," finishing her description, Sakura took a sip from her drink.

"Sounds awesome, I love their collection, especially the shoes," Hinata spoke with a smile on her face, giving her friendly appreciation. She even owned a pair from that collection.

"Me too, but I could never wear something that high." Tenten was almost revolted by her own thoughts. It's not that she did not like them; it was more about the uncomfortable feeling when you walked in those 'gorgeous killing machines', as she always referred to them.

"I would wear them anytime! Great choice, Forhead!" Ino exclaimed, smiling her best smile, as she nodded toward the pink haired girl.

"Thanks, Ino-pig. So, what will you wear?" Sakura returned the smile as she happily asked Ino to give her report.

Ino immediately started to speak, "Black dress with many types of embroidery. The dress is just so beautiful; I was staring at it for a whole two hours yesterday." She dreamily sighed as she leaned her head in her open palm.

"Oh my gosh, you are such a drama queen. It's just a dress!" Sakura stated in fake horror. It was always like that with her best friend — major overreactions over clothes.

However, the thing was that for Ino they were never overreactions, but just pure truth. "It's more than _just_ a dress, but anyway there's more. I'll pair it with black patent high heals, bedazzled clutch and a single bracelet," She finished speaking with a prideful look plastered on her face. She always praised herself as a very fashionable person.

"I'm sure you'll look very beautiful as always, Ino-chan. It's your father's club after all and you should look nice," Hinata said smiling in a friendly way.

"Aww, thank you, Hinata! You are so sweet," Ino cooed as she leaned across the table to give Hinata a hug. The blonde loved to share moments like these with her three best friends and she was extremely happy at the moment. After sitting back in her chair she continued with her cheerful tone, "And, what are you wearing, Hinata?" Her question was followed by her broad smile that showed her perfect teeth.

"Well, I'll be dressed in a white _Herve Leger_ dress with bits of silver with matching high healed sandals and accessories," Hinata spoke in a very hushed tone, still feeling very self-conscious about her choice. It was really difficult for her to go with it and finally do something daring like wearing that dress.

"Wow, you are certainly being bold, Hinata." Tenten sounded positively stunned, which was no surprise. After all, they have never seen her wearing something of the sort.

"White and showing of your curves, I should say you made a great choice!" Ino gave her wholehearted approval.

"You go girl! Naruto would flip when he sees you in that dress." Sakura was smiling internally, but the mischievous glint was visible in her eyes. She would love to see Naruto blush.

"I hope he likes it," the lavender eyed girl shyly spoke without stuttering, while fidgeting with her fingers.

"He will, Hinata. Trust me," Sakura assured the girl because she already knew that Naruto would love Hinata's look no matter what, but especially dressed in something that was created to tightly hug the curves.

"It'll surely make you look hot. How can he not like it?" Ino said shouting her comment just like she were speaking about some written rule.

Hinata smiled out of excitement. It was rare for the usually shy girl to be this agitated, but thinking about Naruto gave her butterflies in her stomach. The newly improved relationship between her and Naruto was making her quite hot and bothered.

"He might even compliment you," Tenten spoke as she winked at Hinata.

"Might? He'll be all over her when he sees her tonight." Sakura sounded so sure of herself, after her conversation with Naruto. She knew that, after seeing Hinata in that dress, he'd be so nervous and start to blubber incoherent things. She knew him too well sometimes.

"Okay, I think we should stop before Hinata hyperventilates for real," Ino said being the only one that noticed Hinata's blush, which intensified by the second. The lavender eyed girl was seriously going through a hyperventilating stage, after hearing the girls' comments that filled her mind with so many imaginary thoughts.

During the meal, the girls continued with their chatter that included so many different subjects. However, the last one was the most interesting of them all because it involved Sakura's devious plans in how to bring back the friendship between her and the ice-cube. She hoped that with the help of her new plan she will be able to erase the feelings she currently harboured for him; if something like that was even possible.

"So, Hinata you should inform Neji about it, and I would leave Shikamaru and Chouji as Ino's responsibility," it was the finishing statement of Sakura's report concerning their ride to the club. The two girls nodded in agreement, before Sakura continued to speak, but this time in a witty tone, "I know that you would love any excuse to call your Shika-kun." At that moment Sakura lifted her eyebrows in a suggestive way, at which Ino just rolled her eyes, before giving her a response.

"Well, if you are really that smart in figuring it out, I'll just admit it… I love to talk with Shika-kun," Ino huffed proudly at her confession. She was never the type to conceal her feelings or feel ashamed for expressing them in front of everybody.

Upon witnessing Ino's reaction, Sakura flashed a broad smile out of contentment for her friend; it always made her happy to see that at least her friends were lucky on the field of love. She could never be jealous when it concerned her friends' happiness or receive that as a slap to her face after her failure in terms of having a relationship with Sasuke that was supposed to be an 'out of dreams' one. From now on, she wanted to look on the bright side and consider the break up as something inevitable that would lead her to her real happiness.

While Sakura was engaged in her own thoughts, Tenten and Ino continued with their talk, "I guess it's just a monolog when it comes to you and him. He thinks everything is troublesome and you can talk for hours, so it's no wonder you enjoy talking with him," Tenten spoke in an obvious tone; it was her way of teasing the blonde.

"Actually, it's dialogue," Ino corrected, "He always listens to what I say and his responses are so wonderful, especially his voice." It was obvious that Ino was head over heals in love with Shikamaru just by looking at her twinkling eyes whenever she talked about him.

"Whoa, you two are really destined for each other, since you are apparently the only thing he doesn't consider of being troublesome." The brown eyed girl was really surprised, but truly honest. She thought that it was great that Shikamaru returned Ino's feelings.

"Well, he uses that word a lot while we talk, but he still listens to me." The blonde tilted her head upward in a thoughtful manner wondering if what Tenten just said could be true. She gave up after realizing that what mattered was that her Shika-kun obviously cared about her and never complained whenever she talked to him.

Hinata's quiet voice snapped Sakura out of her short daydream, as she directed her full attention toward the dark haired girl. "Sakura-chan, did you tell Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked with a faint blush dusting her cheeks. The blushing was not a reaction for mentioning Naruto, but because she felt a bit hesitant in asking that question. She was still very uncomfortable in showing her true feelings out in the open and this was a definite indication that she cared about him and that he was constantly on her mind.

Sakura, after noticing everything from Hinata's blush to her shyly spoken question, gave a reassuring smile, while answering in a soft voice, "Yes, I called Naruto and I already notified the others, so no worries."

"You actually called Sasuke! I can not believe it!" Ino exclaimed showing off her true disbelief by the shocked look on her face. She could not believe that Sakura could actually do that, but then she regained her normal expression after thinking that she might really be over him. At that moment, her facial expression changed into one of full curiosity as she tried to asses Sakura's feelings by just looking at her.

"If I were you… I would've left him out," Tenten spoke casually without batting an eyelash, while directing her full attention toward her black painted nails.

"No… nothing of the sort, I couldn't speak to him on the phone, so I told Naruto to let him know." Sakura's tone of voice indicated nothing, but for Ino's sharp ears meant that her feelings still have not changed.

After getting what she wanted, the blonde leaned in her chair still looking at Sakura, but this time with a sorrowful expression.

"Besides, that would've ruined my other plans." The last sentence accidentally slipped from Sakura's lips and even after realising what she did it was already too late.

"What plans?" Ino's mouth worked even before her mind processed it all. Sometimes her curiosity concerning a 'devious plan' was on a too high level to actually be a positive thing.

"Well… I don't know if I should tell you." Sakura was really thinking if it was good idea to tell them. She knew that they would never agree with her and some would even try to stop her. Well, besides Hinata because she was always hoping for the best and wished happiness to all of her friends, including the guys.

"Just tell us! Can't you see you are killing us with anticipation?" Tenten was urging her to speak, by slamming both of her hands on the table with a soft thud.

"Okay, a small hint wouldn't hurt." Sakura thoughtfully tapped her index finger on her chin, which riled the two excited girls even more than before. Hinata was just observing the whole conversation with a surprised look on her face. She did not feel right about the whole plan; it somehow gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Is it some kind of a revengeful plan?" Tenten tried to guess, but giving a suggestion that worked well in her mind would never give her an affirmative answer from Sakura.

"Nope," The pink haired girl was still thinking of a way to give them what they wanted and at the same time to not reveal the whole thing.

"Don't tell me you plan to make him fall for you for real this time." Ino pressed her palms to her chest, as she shouted in complete astonishment by her own thoughts using her ear-splitting voice.

"No, definitely not!" Sakura shouted in absolute dreadfulness, only because she did not want to even think about that possibility. "I could never make him love me…" She did not realize that by saying those words out loud she exposed her true wishes. "But, I just know the right thing to drive him crazy." It was really a plan that not many people would consider the right way to befriend someone, but Sasuke wasn't a 'normal type of guy'. It was a good thing that she knew him well.

"It better be the 'drive him crazy' I'm thinking about. He deserves it!" Tenten huffed, while unpleasant things went through her mind and it involved Sasuke and lots of ideas for torturing… emotional torture of course.

"I really hope it works." Ino scrunched her eyebrows in slight suspicion; she knew Sakura too well and something about her plan did not smell right. The blonde hoped that her best friend would not end up hurt again.

Hinata was scared by everything that just happened, by the whole planning thing Sakura did, and especially because of the expressions plastered on the girls' faces. It was not a very pleasant sight for her, so she immediately thought of changing the subject to a more cheerful topic. Luckily it worked.

Even after that, their chitchat was prolonged for two more hours; it might have taken more time, but they had to stop in order to have enough time to go home and dress up.

* * *

After walking out of the shower, Sasuke immediately felt the urge to listen the same CD he already replayed for several times that day. Most surprising about the whole thing was the fact that he bought it that very same day and he couldn't seem to get enough of the songs. He used the opportunity that no one was at home, so he could secretly listen to no other than Sakura's album. He told himself that it was out of curiosity and nothing else. After all, it was the first time that he actually let the music get to him, because he always blocked it out and never let it register in his ears.

He totally changed his mind in just a day, after her reaction to his teasing that was engraved in his memory permanently. From that moment on he couldn't get it out of his mind how she at the same time acted the same as before, but also in a very different way. He was really curious and determined to find out more things about this new side of Sakura. Actually, he never admitted it to himself but her blushing stirred huge excitement in him; he enjoyed to see her flustered over him. As the moment replayed in his head for the millionth time that day, he just thought of one single word to describe it. '_Cute._' He smirked at the idea of teasing her and how he had the perfect opportunity to do that tonight.

_Get me outta here  
'Cuz my eyes are burning  
From these silly tears  
That you brought when you show me you don't really care  
And you never loved me, someone get me outta this place  
Right now_

_It's so amazing how you have so many faces_  
_And you are not that person I thought that_  
_I had fell so deep in love with_

_You changed up your makeup your DNA_  
_I can't recognize you're a stranger to me_  
_I feel so betrayed what a waste of my heart_

The opening song was playing and he contemplated on how he never heard her sing this song before their break up. She always played her songs in front of him, but he only recognized half of them on the album. '_She must have written some of these after she left._' That thought made him pay more attention to the lyrics.

_Get me outta here  
'Cuz my eyes are burning  
From these silly tears  
That you brought when you show me you don't really care  
And you never loved me, someone get me outta this place  
Right now_

_My body's trembling it's so damn hard_  
_To pick this feeling, your heart is so cold and now I'm freezing_  
_Wish you could feel the pain baby I will embrace it_  
_Yeah_

After carefully listening he couldn't help but suspect that Sakura's inspiration for most of her songs came from real life experiences. However, he couldn't accept the fact that she was that hurt because of him, because as far as he knew he never said that he doesn't love her. '_At least not in front of her._' He remembered telling Naruto about it, when he thought about ending the relationship, but the blonde was the one that changed his mind. '_That happened the same day we broke up._' After realizing that, he started to suspect if there was any connection between the two events.

_Get me outta here  
'Cuz my eyes are burning  
From these silly tears  
That you brought when you show me you don't really care  
And you never loved me, someone get me outta this place_

_I thought that we were forever_  
_I guess I misunderstood_  
_My fault for thinking you loved me_  
_Or in thinking you ever could_  
_Get me out of here right now_  
_Get me out of here right now_

He disregarded all previous assumptions, since he couldn't seem to find any connection between the lyrics and his behavior or the way they broke up. When he became conscious of what he was actually thinking about, he wanted to beat his head because of it. '_What the hell is wrong with me? What am I even thinking?_' He asked himself in complete astonishment over his behavior. '_This is not like me at all. I'm going completely crazy._' Even with his displeasure caused by his thoughts, he still didn't turn off the player and kept listening to Sakura's songs. A new song started playing, as he headed toward his walk-in closet to choose the clothes he would wear.

_I feel a separation coming on  
'Cause I know you want to be moving on  
I wish it would snow tonight  
You'd pull me in, avoid a fight  
'Cause I feel a separation coming on_

_Just prove that there is nothing left to try_  
_'Cause the truth I'd rather we just both deny_  
_You kissed me with those open eyes_  
_It said so much, it's no surprise to you_  
_But I've got something left inside_

_Don't surrender, surrender, surrender_  
_Please remember, remember December_  
_We were so in love back then_  
_Now you're listening to what they say, don't go that way_  
_Remember, remember December_  
_Please remember, don't surrender_

Whenever he heard this song, the memories of the times spent with Sakura flashed through his mind. As the song played he remembered of one that was very special memory for both of them. However, he would never admit that, not even to himself, and didn't dare to ponder if _she_ cherished it.

**::Flashback::**

It was almost midnight when Sasuke parked his car a safe distance away from Sakura's house. This time his visit was because of a sudden wish to especially see his girlfriend. It was not surprising that he did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted and these late night visits were quite frequent, ever since they started dating.

Upon noticing that the only light in the house was coming from his sweetheart's bedroom, he smiled his rare smile. It was only in moments like these, when no one could see him or in front of Sakura, that he smiled sincerely. But, he was especially happy this particular day and excited because of the surprise he prepared for his girl. He tried to be as silent as possible and luckily his car wasn't making a huge noise. After exiting the car he walked quietly under Sakura's window, took his cell phone out, typed _'Baby, come out, I have a surprise for you.'_ and pressed the _SEND_ button.

He waited for a couple of seconds, before Sakura opened the window and smiled sweetly at him. "Hey," she mouthed, while still carrying that huge smile on her lips. She was pleasantly surprised by his abrupt visit, despite the fact that she was used to it.

Sasuke just smirked in return. "Hey." He winked at her, before making a motion with his hand, indicating for her to come to him. "Come down," he whispered, while staring at her; she looked so beautiful to him… with her pink hair, green eyes and flawless skin.

"Wait just a second, I'll be right down," she whispered in return, before disappearing out of his sight. In the meantime he walked back toward his car, which was their usual hiding spot — from her parents' eyes, of course. As he leaned on the door, he could distinguish Sakura's figure approaching, which evoked that rare smile of his to spread on his lips again.

He started walking toward her and Sakura followed with a faster pace and when she finally reached him she jumped right in his open arms, as he lifted her up. She hugged him and giggled lightly when Sasuke spun her in a circle, while at the same time he kissed her tenderly on a ticklish spot on her neck. Afterward he led her toward the car where he leaned on it and brought Sakura closer to his body. At the same time they both tilted forward to share a very passionate kiss, something Sasuke looked forward to.

When they finally stopped their heated action, Sakura looked up questioningly at him. "Why are you here, Sasuke-kun? It's really late and my parents could've seen you." As she spoke, she playfully twisted his bangs between her lean fingers.

Sasuke caught her hand with his and with a gentle movement intertwined their fingers, as he smirked suggestively at her. "I just missed you, that's all." He leaned to give her short but very sweet kisses… first he kissed her nose, then the corner of her mouth, and finally her lips where he let it linger for a longer moment.

"You saw me three hours ago, silly!" Sakura teased him in a very loving way by staring deeply into his onyx eyes and smiled tenderly only for him. Then she returned his sweet affectionate gesture by giving him the kiss she knew he favoured.

"Well, I wanted to see you again." While saying that, he lifted his shoulders to show that he didn't need any particular reason for wanting to see her.

"Okay, I don't mind. I'm happy that you're here." She then kissed him gently on the lips and he returned the gesture with the same intensity, before encircling her waist with his hands to bring her closer and deepen the kiss. At that point, she was standing on her tiptoes, with her hands round his neck to support herself. They both enjoyed the affectionate kiss excessively, especially since it lasted for a very long time.

Sakura interrupted the moment to Sasuke's immense displeasure, noticeable by the way he scrunched his eyebrows and attempt to kiss her another time. "Wait… you said you had a surprise for me," she spoke a little out of breath, with her fingers placed on his lips to stop him from advancing again.

He just looked at her with an expression she never witnessed before; it was somehow gentle, and at the same time very loving. He diverted his eyes, before she could actually catch on to what he really felt. Those feelings made him uncomfortable and the guard he placed was just an unconscious act without being his intention. Afterwards, he pulled out a long velvety box, placed it in her hands and looked up at her to witness her reaction to his next words. "It's your birthday in exactly…" He looked at the watch on his hand for a short moment, before focusing his onyx eyes on her, yet again. "…ten seconds, and I wanted to be the first to wish you a happy birthday." He leaned in and softly pecked her cheek, before speaking. "Happy birthday, Sakura." He then smiled affectionately at her, which also was a very rare gesture he displayed.

She smiled back, immediately started to open the box and gasped in utter amazement of what she saw inside. It was a very beautiful bracelet made out of pink and white diamonds with a small cherry pendant at one end. Sakura was at loss for words as she just looked at him with teary eyes; she was about to cry out of sheer happiness. Couple of seconds later, she spoke in a soft tone, "Sasuke-kun, this is too much, I can't accept it."

"Nothing is too much for you. Besides, it's the present I picked out for your birthday and I want you to have it." He took the bracelet out of the box and placed it on her wrist, before adding nonchalantly with a small smile, "See, it suits perfectly."

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment, but then returned the smile and kissed him gently on the lips. "It's really beautiful. Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You make me so happy." She looked at him with that soft look of hers and the smile still playing on her lips. He could feel the joy she felt, by just staring at those green pools. "I wish that I could always feel this way," she whispered in his ear, as she leaned in to give him a hug. Those hugs she gave him were making him feel many strange things and one was especially strong — he was immensely scared, but the bad thing was that he didn't know why he felt that way.

He reluctantly returned the hug, but went stiff when he heard her almost silent words. "I love you." That was all she said, as she hugged him with much more fervour, carried by the moment. She was waiting for the respond that never left Sasuke's lips. It was the first time she actually spoke those three words and he was rendered speechless. He was just standing there, completely unmoving, without answering back. He suspected that the look she had on her face was full with the sadness and slight pain she felt, but it remained just an inkling because he couldn't actually see it.

**::End of Flashback::**

_You said you wouldn't let them change your mind  
'Cause when we're together fire melts the ice  
Our hearts are both on overdrive  
Come with me, let's run tonight  
Don't let these memories get left behind_

_Don't surrender, surrender, surrender_  
_Please remember, remember December_  
_We were so in love back then_  
_Now you're listening to what they say, don't go that way_  
_Remember, remember December_  
_Please remember_

Sasuke barely heard the ringing tone coming from his cell phone, because of the music playing and his mind still under the impression of the memory. He picked the device in his hand and as he saw the caller ID only one thought sped through his mind. '_It's the dobe._' "What do you want?" Sasuke answered, before plopping down on the couch in his room.

Naruto wasn't in the least surprised by Sasuke's way of answering the phone, because that was completely normal for him. "Teme, what's up?" he immediately greeted just as he always did when on the phone with Sasuke.

"Nothing much." Bringing his cool attitude out on the surface to cover his real thoughts was not a problem for Sasuke. "Just getting ready," he nonchalantly added, while totally forgetting about the music still playing.

Naruto was surprised by the response he received; it was not like Sasuke to answer without calling him 'dobe'; the way Naruto saw it, he seemed distracted somehow. "Hey, why aren't you—" He stopped midsentence, after listening a familiar song playing in the background. He stopped for a few seconds to try and distinguish what Sasuke was listening to.

_I remember us together with a promise of forever  
We can do this, fight the pressure  
Please remember December  
_

"Hey, is that… Sakura's song playing?" Naruto almost choked while asking the question. He was extremely shocked; he could not believe what he just heard, that Sasuke was actually listening Sakura's song.

"No… I would never…" Sasuke hastily answered, while gripping the remote to stop the song from playing. He never planned to get caught, so he internally scolded himself for getting distracted. '_Stupid cute._' In his head, he was blaming Sakura's appealing characteristics for his mistake. It was the first time for Sasuke to be left speechless.

_Don't surrender, surrender, surrender  
Please remember, …_

Sasuke finally managed to stop the music.

"You don't have to lie to me! I'm your best friend, Sasuke." The now cheery boy stated in a way that confirmed that 'his discovery' was quite evident and Sasuke won't be able to escape with a lie.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted but not in a negative way, while his trademark smirk spread on his lips, evoked by Naruto's words. He felt relieved that it was his best friend that caught him. After all, the blonde could never betray him.

Naruto noticed that Sasuke, for some reason, was in a good mood so he dared himself to say something to taunt his friend. "So, you finally bought her album, huh?" He knew how Sasuke would react to that, so he had to make it sound like a joke. "You could have said something and I'm sure she would've given you a signed copy," the blonde spoke in a mocking way, but he was actually very serious about his statement.

"Naruto, shut up!" Sasuke shouted, but not out of anger; he just wasn't in a mood for Naruto's jokes. Today nothing could possibly get him angry. The funny thing about that was that he actually wondered why he was in such a great mood and never realized that it was because of Sakura.

"Okay, don't be so touchy, I'll stop. By the way, I called to tell you that we're all going together to the club. Sakura's manager arranged it." This time he just spoke in a much laid-back manner.

"Whatever." Sasuke acted as if he doesn't give a damn about that fact, when in reality he took it in a much different way. '_That's actually perfect!_' He smirked in complete satisfaction with the new opportunity he had to provoke Sakura.

Their conversation lasted a while longer, before they both hung up.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 3: Unforgettable Memories II

**A/N: **The song used in this chapter is _"__Rehab"_ by _Rihanna_.

Thank you, Mojo-Jojo13 for your patience with me and for being such a lovely beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or the song in this chapter. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**3**__**rd**__** Chapter:**_ _Unforgettable__ Memories_

_-part 2-_

The limo was almost full, when it arrived in front of the 'Uchiha' mansion and Sakura was trying her best to stay unaffected by just being there. The last time she was at _his_ home, her heart was ripped out of her chest with only the pain to fill that hole. As the memories were about to overwhelm her mind, Sasuke showed up.

It was a truly incredible moment for the both of them; there was this surge of energy passing through them as their eyes met. For some unknown reason, it was like the time stopped and all they saw was each other. He never let his coal eyes stray from her face, as his intent stare prolonged even as he took the seat right next to her.

Sakura was completely surprised by his gesture and couldn't stop the small smile from spreading on her lips, before turning her head to look away. It was then that a very faint blush dusted her cheeks and a warm feeling enveloped her whole being. '_Why do I feel this way?_' She turned to look at him one more time, only to be met with his piercing stare and that sexy smirk of his. She quickly regained her previous pose in utter attempt to avoid looking at his eyes. '_It's because of that look of his. I hate it when he does that,_' she thought to herself, getting a little flustered.

By just watching her reaction, the same warm feeling she felt consumed him too. He smirked, as pleasurable thoughts came to his mind. Everything he felt at the moment was disregarded by his clouded mind. '_She's still my Sakura._' His thought was just an unconscious display of what he really felt and it was such a waste since he was completely unaware of it.

Couple of minutes later, Sakura noticed that Hinata was nervously fidgeting and even though she suspected the reason, she still reacted upon it. "Hinata, don't be nervous. It's just Naruto, remember… the guy that takes you to school every day and deeply cares for you." The pink haired girl placed her hand on Hinata's to give the girl the reassurance she needed, while nodding her head in encouragement.

The shy girl smiled in return, because those words came like a breath of fresh air for her. "Thank you, Sakura-chan." It was then that they stopped in front of Naruto's house.

Just as the blonde showed his face through the door, Hinata blushed ten shades of red. She was flushed and nervous, because of the dress she wore, not being sure of Naruto's reaction. After all, he never saw her wear something so... daring — it was the word she choose to refer to it.

Upon noticing Hinata, he let his bright blue eyes slide up and down her form and he couldn't even suppress the blush creep up his neck. Even though he couldn't fully see her, because of the seating arrangements, he was still pleasantly surprised by the way she looked. While Naruto stared at her in utter amazement, Neji who was not too pleased by it, glared fiercely at him.

Naruto beamed a huge smile, before sitting right next to his crush. "Hinata-chan, you look really beautiful," he whispered lovingly to her, while never taking his eyes off of her.

His stare made the girl even more flustered than before, but she was glowing with happiness after hearing those words coming out of his mouth. Somehow, she managed to find her voice and answer, "Thank you, Naruto-kun." She shyly looked down, as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. They were both so entranced by the moment and each other; they paid no attention to anything that happened around them. The girls were affectionately smiling out of pure happiness because they witness such sweet moment.

Kiba was the last one that was being picked up, so finally the driver drove in the direction of the club 'Midnight'.

"WOW! Girls, you look smokin' hot! You'll be the hottest girls in the whole club!" Kiba shouted, while totally checking out the girls, his face showing his admiration. He was merely stating a fact, confirmed by the tone of voice he used. But it wasn't received in that particular way by a certain pale eyed boy, who held a glare that could intimidate anybody.

Kiba noticed that instantaneous reaction coming from Neji, obviously directed at him for opening his big mouth. "What! Aren't you happy that you are going out with a hottie like Tenten!" The last sentence was spoken as a pure fact and not a question, while his eyes spoke of his purpose behind those words, that there was nothing wrong in stating his thoughts.

The only thing Kiba accomplished with his ramblings was anger Neji even more. The boy holding a vicious glare didn't like it when someone would speak that way about his girlfriend, especially check her out in front of his eyes.

It was probable that Kiba could receive something more than just a heated look and luckily for him Tenten calmed Neji by holding his hand. She was the only one that knew how to soothe him, but it never meant that she would contain herself after being called a 'hottie'. If there was anything she hated, it would be 'hotness related' words with her name in the same sentence. "Oh, Kiba, you better shut your trap this instant, unless you want my heel jammed in your forehead!" she seethed in pure irritation, which evoked a smirk on Neji's lips; he always felt so proud with his girl in moments like these.

"Well, I'm sorry for trying to give you a compliment." Kiba demonstrated his sarcastic side, while casting a half-lidded look at Tenten. He pouted his lips and crossed his hands in front of his chest out of frustration that no one seemed to accept his ways of complimenting.

"Why are you even making an effort in dressing up if you don't want to hear guys' comments?" Sai pondered nonchalantly, directing a good look at the girls as if inspecting something. He immediately received four different looks, all filled with aversion, because of his question and the way he glided his eyes over their slender forms.

"What did you say?" Sakura was the first to spit out her discomfort after hearing Sai's words. "We never make an effort to look this good. It's a natural thing." She exchanged looks with the girls, as they all nodded slightly to give their affirmation for her well chosen statement to defend their honour.

"Uh… sorry, Ugly, but I guess getting too many flattering words from guys, while on tour, got you a little over-confident." Sai wasn't aware that when talking about girls' looks, a guy should always carefully measure his words or it might sound insulting. The shocked look on Sakura's face, with her mouth hanging open, was a sight to behold. Sai backed up a bit, after seeing the fire burning in her eyes. She was so angry that, if she wasn't seated at such a distance from Sai, he would have received one of her bone-crashing punches.

Upon hearing Sai's statement, Sasuke was clenching his teeth unconsciously. The idea of Sakura spending time with guys that actually dared to compliment her was a definite 'no' in Sasuke's book. He was overwhelmed by a feeling that made his blood boil and he refused to admit that it was jealousy, because he was definitely not jealous, but just protective. If he contemplated on that exact thought a while longer he would have found himself at a dead-end. (Just protective… yeah right!)

Tsunade was about to open her mouth to shove Sai's words back in his mouth and teach him a lesson, but Naruto was the fastest to say something in defence. "What are you talking about, _Sai_?" The blonde spitted out his name with such spitefulness latched to his tone, before continuing, "Sakura-chan is very beautiful, and I'm sure she deserved all of those _truthful_ compliments." He emphasized the word 'truthful' for his own pleasure and to make Sai realize his mistake. The blonde would never allow insults while he was present, especially if it centred around one of his precious people. He had nothing against Sai, but he could never tolerate such behaviour; it was part of his nature, just as it was Sai's to be totally ignorant.

Tsunade was pleasantly surprised by Naruto's outburst. '_I like this boy. He has a spirit,_' the woman thought to herself, with a small smile playing on her red colored lips.

"Sai, darling… let me clear something up. We didn't get all dressed up just to be a drooling material. By the way, it's a girl thing, you could never possibly understand," Ino spoke almost sweetly to Sai, as if stating a fact. "However, Shika-kun, you can enjoy your view, I don't mind," she whispered for only him to hear, failing to notice that Chouji, who was seating on the other side of her, heard her everything. He leaned to say something to the both of them that were now too hung up with each other to actually pay attention for what went around them. But, they certainly heard his comment.

"Trust me, that is all he does since he entered in this limo." After finishing with a small smile plastered on his lips, he received a look of warning by Shikamaru, who leaned forward to especially do that. Upon noticing the faint blush on his friend's cheeks, Chouji's smile grew. He seemed very happy for his two best friends and the evolvement of their relationship to a romantic level.

"Miss Senju, we are almost there," a deep voice spoke politely through the microphone placed in Tsunade's ear. She had to have a contact with the driver and the bodyguards she hired, or she would never be able to find a piece of her mind.

"Thank you, Eiichiro," she thanked in return, while pressing some button.

The limo pulled to a stop, and all of them could hear the crowd outside.

"We're on place, Miss Senju." One of the guards gave the approval Tsunade waited for, through the small device placed in her ear.

"We're here. Be careful, all of you, it might get rough outside," she addressed everybody in the limo, while handing them with a look of warning. "Okay, open the door!" she commanded, before the door was pulled open and Kiba was the first to go out as the others followed.

"Lady Tsunade, do you hear that? Not a single scream," Sakura spoke in a mocking satisfaction, because she was used to hearing screams even before leaving the car. Tsunade just rolled her eyes, as it was Sakura's turn to walk out. Sakura immediately, after exiting the limo, regretted her words. A big commotion started to rise, screams of fans enveloped her ears and the flashing lights of cameras were blinding her. '_Someone must have blogged that I'll be here,_' she thought to herself, before making a hesitant step forward.

People were constantly screaming her name, some were even making a declaration of love and one guy was bold enough to scream at the top of his lungs, "Sakura, marry me! I love you!"

Sakura was not aware of the fact that Sasuke was right behind her, following every step she made. He was fuming in anger, evoked by the whole situation, especially because of the hands grabbing forward to touch her.

The teen idol didn't know where to move anymore. All that she perceived were the cruel questions coming from the people flashing their cameras right at her face. "Sakura, are you here to have fun?" The first one was probably the most normal question asked, although she did not understand how they could address her in person without really knowing her.

"Which one is your boyfriend?" This other guy was even rude in the way he spoke to her, not just by asking such a direct question. She ignored his prodding and immediately looked away, just a second later to hear something much worse. "Or maybe they are just friends with benefits?" The idiot smiled wickedly, expecting some reaction.

Sakura couldn't believe what she just heard and how vulgar this guy actually was. She remembered the faces of all of the paparazzi she encountered with, but she was sure that he was new. She really didn't like his ways of doing his job and hoped that she would never have to see him ever again.

Sasuke had the sudden urge to punch this guy, knock him out and silence him forever. '_Ignorant bastard… who does he thinks he is?_' His famous glare was directed at said bastard, but with never seen viciousness present. He didn't know that Sakura had to tolerate this kind of_ bullshit_ for the sake of having a singing career. He didn't like it, not even a little bit.

Tsunade heard everything very well, but she couldn't do anything except give a command for the bodyguards to do their job. Her job was to know that the paparazzi were there to provoke a scandal and she would never serve them with the pleasure of having that.

One of the bodyguards was too busy holding the swarm of fans away from Sakura and the other was guarding her from the paparazzi. The whole problem was that the fence round the red carpet was knocked down by a big mob of fans, which were there to especially see her. The commotion was too enormous for someone to actually be able to settle everything with a quick process and the teen idol was in the centre of everything.

Even after that, one of the paparazzi was able to slip past the bodyguards and as Sakura passed him he grabbed her hand in attempt to get what he wanted. Sakura jumped out of surprise and as she abruptly turned her head on reflex, all he was able to photograph was her frightened expression. She noted that it was the same crude jerk from before. He sadistically smiled at her, before speaking with a mean glint in his eye, trying to aggravate her, "You must have a dirty secret! You can't be an angel!" At that point, Sakura turned her head and attempted to free her hand.

Sasuke witnessed the whole thing, all the while getting truly scared for Sakura's well being. Realizing that the bodyguards were already too busy with keeping the others at bay, he decided to take _this_ matter in his own hands. In a swift but gentle motion, he took Sakura's hand in his, while roughly pushing the idiot aside. The paparazzo was so dumb-struck from the whole situation to it happening so fast, that he couldn't take another picture. The members of the Uchiha family tend to leave that kind of impression on people when threatening with just one single look, which is exactly what Sasuke offered him with.

Instantaneously, Sasuke placed his other hand on Sakura's waist and led her toward the entrance of the club, leaving all the others behind. For one last time Sasuke directed a deadly look toward the parasite, influencing him to back up a bit.

When almost inside Sakura turned to see who her rescuer was, to only end up completely astonished after recognizing Sasuke walking right beside her, while still holding her hand. She couldn't suppress the warm feeling enveloping her insides or the pinkish shade coloring her cheeks. She stared in his dark eyes that seemed to invite her in, as he looked intently at her green ones. They were practically glued to each other, not being able to look away. It was really surprising how they managed to walk straight without looking up front.

After a couple of seconds, the pink-haired girl was finally able to find her voice, even if it was just a faint whisper. "Thank you." She still stared in his eyes, while biting her lower lip nervously. The fact that she was as tall as him, because of the high heels, was not helping her much. He smiled a tad bit in return, almost unnoticeably, but for Sakura it was utterly obvious. After all, she really knew him well; especially what kinds of smiles he possessed and this one meant that he really wanted to help her. The flutters in her stomach were out of her control, as she contemplated on the reason behind Sasuke's actions.

At the same time, Sasuke felt exactly the same and outright confused because of his unsettled emotions. While casting a fleeting look at their linked hands, he remembered of the past moments he held her hand and was surprised by the warm feeling it still gave him. The next thought that flashed through his mind was something completely different. '_This is my chance._' For a short second a mischievous glint sparkled in his onyx pools.

When already inside, he glanced in another direction for a very short moment, before promptly turning his eyes to look deeply in hers and smirked for emphasis. He remembered that that exact look always made her blush. His planned out teasing was under way, as he assured himself that it was just his way of testing what her reaction would be. However, he subconsciously felt comforted to see her flustered because it meant that she still felt something for him.

Her reaction was immediate, but it was more than just a simple blush, which stunned him to a great extent. She gripped his hand and he guessed that it was probably in attempt to steady herself. He couldn't believe that she actually lost her balance, when in reality there was nothing to make her do so. Unless, the look he gave was truly affecting her to a very high degree. It was then that he decided to do something more daring, to prove his assumption.

He moved forward in a very slow motion, still intently staring at her eyes in order to prolong the significant moment. '_What does he think he's doing?_' Sakura gasped in surprise, flowed by the sudden stiffening of her whole body. He leaned even more, only to leave her in stare at him in absolute shock. '_Oh. My. Gosh. Is he… trying to kiss me!_' She then looked at his lips, which he used at his advantage and smirked, before releasing her hand with a very gentle movement and walked off. They both felt it as a tender caress of his hand upon her own. That was the only thing not in his plans; he was actually reluctant in letting her hand go, so it ended up looking as if he stroked her hand affectionately.

Even as he let go of her and was already walking away from her, she was still glued to that exact same spot. '_Whoa. What just happened?_' Wondering about the whole situation, she was still under the effect of his provocations. But after regaining her self-control, fiery anger could be seen in her jade eyes. '_Oh NO, I won't let you, Uchiha. I know what you're planning and it does not gonna happen,_' she thought in absolute fury.

Subsequently, the girls surrounded her, as the boys just followed after Sasuke to locate their VIP section.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Ino approached her first, worry written all over her face, as well latched to her voice. She didn't even notice the look of ferocity in Sakura's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quietly. '_Now,_' she sarcastically added in her own head. She wanted to scold herself for reacting like a school-girl and allowing Sasuke to influence her like that.

"But, what the hell was that?" Ino asked with a look of shock and wonder plastered on her beautiful features.

"I don't know," Sakura silently answered while staring at her still warm hand. She completely forgot about the paparazzo incident, and her reference concerned the _small happening_ between her and Sasuke.

"I believe that he still cares for you," Hinata said using her sweet voice, before smiling a gentle friendly smile. Sakura just looked at her, but didn't know what to say or think.

"Whatever it was, I am glad he did it. Those bloodsuckers were a real nightmare!" Tenten shouted out of irritation, because of the nasty questions they actually dared to ask. She started to hate them too much for her own good.

At that point, the pink-haired girl realized that her friends only noticed that little detail and nothing of the silent exchange with her ex.

At the same time, the boys were having a similar conversation, as they walked through the lobby that led to the main area. It was decorated in such a fancy way, primarily colored with dark shades, related to the name the club carried. There was a place for leaving coats and couple of employees were offering to lead the guests. They could hear the music, but the walls were probably soundproof to an extent, so they could still talk.

"Great job, teme!" Naruto shouted, while hitting Sasuke on the back to give his friendly appreciation. The blonde felt very relieved after witnessing Sasuke's ways of protecting Sakura. Also, he felt a bit hopeful that his best friend might still care for Sakura genuinely. He received a glare in return, which he ignored and smiled because he was in a really good mood after contemplating Sasuke's reasons for helping Sakura.

"Yeah, that was a really nice move!" Lee admired Sasuke's determination and method of dealing with the situation. Although, a bit of jealousy could be seen in his eyes; the reason for it was that the way he looked at it, Sasuke deserved Sakura's love. He always believed that the real feelings were always expressed by actions and this just proved how much Sasuke loved the Cherry Blossom.

"Someone needs to beat the crap out of those stupid mother fuckers!" Kiba barked, while punching a fist in his open palm to indicate that he would gladly do that job.

"I agree with Kiba. I can't believe they were asking stuff like that." It was surprising for Sai to agree with Kiba when it came down to taking violent measures against people. It was clear that he cared about Sakura in a friendly way, despite the nickname he gave her; he was aware that it offended her, but he still used it. He thought of it as a means to strengthen bonds with people.

"You better believe it now. Poor Sakura." Shikamaru didn't sound bored at all, but mostly worried. The reason might be the commotion that happened outside. It was in his nature to feel responsible for all of his friends; it was a task he appointed himself with.

"She definitely needs more bodyguards," Shino spoke in a laid-back way, but rather sincerely.

"Maybe she should just hire Sasuke. He seemed like doing that job perfectly," Chouji commented truthfully, not realizing his mistake. Sasuke perceived that comment as a mockery, so he was completely angered by it.

Luckily for Chouji, the blonde was there to take the receiving end of Sasuke's fury, with his own statement. "You got that right! Teme, you can be her knight in shining armour!" He laughed after speaking, which made him miss the well aimed punch by the onyx-haired teenager that connected with his shoulder. "Teme, why did you do that!" It was obvious that Naruto was in pain by the way he scrunched up his eyes and the rubbing he did over the sore spot.

"Dobe, just shut up!" Sasuke angrily yelled in Naruto's ear, before storming off, leaving the others behind. Naruto pouted cutely, because of Sasuke's reaction. He didn't like the fact that his best friend still wasn't letting his real feelings to come out on the surface.

"He still lives in denial, huh?" Neji asked Naruto in a very cool manner, which was completely normal for the stoic teenager. He could be very perceptive sometimes; too bad he rarely spoke his thoughts.

"I don't know what to think anymore. He is hot and then cold… it's a never-ending cycle," the blonde huffed, as if tired from seeing Sasuke indecision.

"I think he's just confused," Shikamaru spoke his thoughts out loud, before sighing sleepily. His was already starting to get bored out of his mind.

"I would gladly give her heart up for Sasuke. He is a worthy opponent." Lee was very sincere with his confession. Even though, it gave him a painful feeling in his chest, he was still a gentleman enough to give her up for someone who would love her the way she deserved to be loved.

"I believe that he started to come to his senses already," Shino said and surprisingly he seemed very content, not a sight of his typical brooding.

"I don't have much to say about it, but that act in front of the club was something a person in love would do," Sai thoughtfully explained of what he learned from a specialized book about love that he read not long ago.

"Whatever… just cheer up guys! It's party time!" Kiba screamed at the top of his lungs, as they all walked in an enormous hall with the loud music filling their ears. The girls followed behind, and they all stared in awe at the magnificence surrounding them. Only Ino had a huge smile on her face, as opposed to the others who had their mouths hanging open. Even Sasuke and Neji stared in utter amazement.

The inside of the club was something unseen before. Blue lights of various kinds were flashing from every corner just like laser beams; the spotlights were releasing some kind of dark midnight blue luminosity that gave the impression of a dark sky. The best part was the ceiling that was illuminated by millions of twinkling lights that looked exactly like stars. It was just as if the starry sky was brought inside to make the club look more real.

There were three levels where people could dance and drink, and the VIP section was an exclusively highlighted part of the second storey. The music was blasting as the DJ encouraged the crowd to dance and scream; it looked like everybody had the time of their lives.

Kiba was the first to react among the whole group, although his voice was barely heard because of the extremely deafening music, besides the fact that he was as loud as ever. "This is definitely the best club I've been to! Ino, your father is the best!"

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more!" Naruto couldn't prevent his mouth from blabbering his thoughts. He was still staring in utter astonishment at everything around him.

Tsunade — with the bodyguards following behind her — approached the teen star, worried sick for her well being. The woman saw everything that happened outside, but she couldn't do anything and she blamed herself for not hiring enough bodyguards. She scolded herself for not doing her job the right way; she believed the incident could have been prevented from happening if she planned everything well enough. "Are you alright, Sakura?" Her voice noticeably quivered, as she held the girl's shoulders and shook her lightly, carried away by the strong feelings flowing through her.

Sakura barely heard Tsunade's question because of the loud music. "Yes, I am okay. Please, don't worry." She smiled broadly in attempt to cheer Tsunade up, and it worked because she returned the smile eagerly, relief washing over her.

"Miss, I am really sorry, we should have been more careful. Are you alright?" One of the men asked frantically.

"Eiichiro, there's no need for you to apologise. You did your job very well. Besides, I am alright, nothing bad happened," Sakura politely spoke with an appreciative smile on her face. She was very aware that if it weren't for the two muscled men, she would have been swarmed by a mass of people.

Afterwards they all followed the others who were already directed toward the second storey of the club. The bodyguards from then on were constantly by her side, managing to stay completely unnoticed and not intrude her privacy.

When already at their reserved seating place, Sakura being the last to arrive noticed that the only empty seat was next to her ex-boyfriend. She didn't even dare to think about sitting there; the fact that he sat beside her in the limo was a whole different thing, as opposed to now… after what happened just minutes ago.

"Ino-pig, move over," Sakura addressed her best friend, who was already cosily taking a seat next to Shikamaru. The blonde was about to make some space for her best friend, when a certain _someone_ already offered the pink haired girl a seat.

"Sakura, you can sit here… next to me," Sasuke spoke huskily to her, as he smirked seductively, mindful of the fact that she always reacted in a certain way to it. He just waited for her reaction, while staring at her form in utter admiration because of the way she looked in her dress that hugged her curves sexily.

"Or not!" She answered harshly, in an almost indignant way. '_Hmph…_' she huffed internally. '_I'm so not going to let you play that game with me… bastard._' Planning to direct a short glance toward him, she ended up staring at him, because of the smirk he did that she knew too well. '_A very handsome bastard, if you ask me… okay, totally not important at the moment._' She turned her head quickly — as well as her whole body to especially avoid him — out of complete irritation by her own thoughts, when in reality she was hyperventilating, quite obvious by the blush on her cheeks. His plan appeared to be working quite well. '_Focus… Sakura, focus!_'

"Suit yourself," he casually said, while sliding his dark eyes up and down her body, stopping for a short moment to especially admire her ass. '_I don't mind. Not. At. All,_' he thought to himself, unconsciously admitting her beauty and how much he enjoyed being able to just stare at her.

Naruto snickered, as the girls were watching the scene open-mouthed.

Sakura turned to look at him as he spoke those words and caught him checking her out. '_What the hell! He's totally checking me out!_' Tingles started to go throughout her body, making her feel really strange all of a sudden. She knew that feeling very well. '_I can't believe that it's affecting me, I feel so self-conscious all of a sudden._' Afterwards she decided to never let him hold such control over her and instead take matters in her own hands. "Fine, I'll sit next to you. Enjoy the view while you can." She looked directly in his eyes, with the means of challenging him, as she sat at the empty spot next to him.

Sasuke was surprised by her attitude; he couldn't seize the fact that she became so free-spirited in just a couple of months and sharp with words. '_Is she mocking me! Oh no, she's not going to that to me… I am Sasuke Uchiha. No one mocks me._' His prideful side came out on the surface, as he accepted her _subtle_ challenge. "Who said anything about liking what I see?" He asked her coolly, while looking at her up and down from the corner of his eyes, indicating that he was clearly referring to her.

Sakura gasped in shock by his words and she was somewhat offended by them, so she decided to strike back. "Well, sitting here…" Sakura also looked him up and down with fake repugnance, exposed by her scrunched eyebrows. "…right next to you doesn't light my candle either," she said, while stately lifting her chin up.

"Fine with me!" Sasuke tried to sound unaffected, but his annoyance was very recognizable by the way he spoke through gritted teeth, without turning his eyes away from her face.

"Fine with me too!" she spitted out right at his face, without realizing that she used the same tone he did.

He leaned closer to her, and when their noses almost touched he gritted out, "Good." Then, abruptly he turned his head in the other direction.

She couldn't believe the arrogance he possessed, so she huffed in anger and turned to look in another direction. "Good," she shot out her retort for one last time.

For any spectator it would look like they were having a lovers quarrel. The funny part was that the both of them completely forgot all about their previous plans and ended up acting like two people in love that were desperately trying to avoid their true feelings. That was exactly how some of their friends perceived the whole scene.

All of a sudden, surprising everybody, Kiba stood up with an enormous grin plastered on his lips, showing off his slightly sharp canines, obviously already planning to do something in his own style. "Come on, guys, let's go! The master will show you how to get real babes." Kiba looked at his male friends in arrogance, with the mischievous glint in his eyes as an added bonus. Everyone just sweat dropped, already used to his macho behaviour.

Well, that is _all_ of them… besides Sai. "Who's the master?" Sai asked as pure curiosity was written all over his face. He finally managed to get the right expression, but his slow way of getting who was Kiba referring to did not help him at all with the infuriated teenager.

"How dare you ask such a thing!" the overconfident Kiba shouted at the top of his lungs right at Sai's ear, before regaining his composure by dusting off his shoulders. It was more an act then actually necessary. "Watch and learn," he bragged nonchalantly with his head lifted high up in dignity. Then, he walked off and stood right beside a girl with platinum blond hair, which apparently matched his standards. His irrevocable 'bad boy' attitude was appealing to some girls and it was proved once again, as the girl smiled sweetly at him and already introduced herself. Afterward, Kiba turned his head toward where his friends were seated and winked in a victorious way.

"That was actually great. I should try it." Sai contemplated for a minute of how to make his approach, before boldly walking toward the dance floor where a group of three girls were dancing. He was actually planning to nail more girls in just one night; his cluelessness gave him guts, for real. Thankfully they were already swooning over his handsome appearance, but the real question was when the girls would start to fight for his devoted attention. However, it was doomed that by the end of the night Sai would find out if he will try the same approach ever again and whether it was actually worth it.

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"Neji, let's dance," Tenten excitedly spoke to her boyfriend, smiling profoundly.

"No," he responded stoically; it's not that he didn't want to dance with her, but the music bothered him to no end — it was too upbeat and provocative for him. He wasn't very comfortable with dancing in public, especially to that kind of music.

She pouted her lips cutely, before sweetly pleading him, "Please, Neji. I know you want to." Seeing that no reaction came from him she smiled seductively, knowing that he couldn't deny _that_. She was right, because he stood up and took her hand in his and whispered in her ear, "It better be worth it." By saying that he indicated something that was just between the two of them.

"Whatever you say, babe," she sexily whispered back and gently kissed him on the lips, before they both walked toward the dance floor.

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Shikamaru and Ino were already occupying the dance floor, completely enveloped by each other. Not being able to contain themselves, they already started to make out with no other thought in mind. They were dancing and enjoying the moment to an enormous extent. She was really fervent in expressing her feelings, by biting his bottom lip lightly, which was a huge provocation for his response. He deepened their kiss eagerly, placing his hands on her hips and pressing her closer to his body. Their kiss lasted a really long time and when they stopped to take a breath, she smiled a beaming smile as they stared at each others eyes.

"Yamanaka Ino, you are one amazing girl!" He managed to say, before she roughly brought him for another passion filled kiss.

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Sakura was standing near the fence of the second storey, looking down at the dancing crowd under the disco lights. She was so caught up in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice Sasuke coming to stand beside her.

He stared at her, amused by her facial expressions that changed from one to another in such a minuscule amount of time. It was only a minute later that she felt someone beside her and turned her head with a very fast motion, ending up quite surprised to catch him staring at her. He was very quick to avert his head and stop looking at her, but there was a smirk still present on his lips, due to his amusement by her reaction.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke? Now you started to follow me?" Sakura spitted out, completely annoyed by the whole situation, and especially his _strange_ behaviour.

"Hn." He just looked at her from the corner of his eyes, never turning to fully look at her, while his smirk widened a bit. "It's a mere coincidence. I just happen to want to do the exact thing you want." He intentionally pronounced his mocking tone, in order to tease her for his own pleasure of watching her always versatile reactions.

"Well, don't! It pisses me off!" she exclaimed what was on her heart by using a very loud voice; he really managed to bring her fiery side out on the surface, getting her infuriated with him just because she was unaware of his intentions.

Apparently, he loved to see her so riled up, because he was turned on like never before in his life and without thinking he did something quite bold. He stood behind her and trapped her between his torso and the fence, with his hands on each side of her. "What is it, Sa-ku-ra? Do you really hate me that much?" His lips were almost touching the skin of her exposed neck, and as he spoke she could feel his hot breath heating up a sensitive spot. The fact that his deep voice sent chills down her spine didn't help much, especially since she tried to work on her plan to get him out of her heart.

Feeling very uncomfortable by the position they were in, she purposely turned toward him, while his hands were still blocking her exit. "That is for you to wonder and never find out." After her extremely fierce response, they both came to notice that she had never spoken in such a way to him; maybe that was the reason for him almost getting aroused. She suddenly realized that this was an even worse position she put herself into and she urged her mind to think of an immediate escape.

"Don't push me, Sakura. I might just do _something_ to find out and you might not like it!" he spoke so closely to her face that she was able to feel his captivatingly sweet scent. Their eyes were saying the things that they didn't want to leave their lips, a fiery passion was burning their insides.

Sakura was aware of every affect he had upon her, so she wanted out of the stimulating feelings as soon as possible, while he unconsciously wished for the exact opposite outcome. She thought of something, but it meant that she had to bring the best act, she ever did, out on the open. Without further ado, she dared herself to do it. She took his chin between her lean fingers, turned his face to the side and spoke right at his ear with her lips touching it slightly, by using a very soft but sensual voice in attempt to make her threat more believable. "If I were you, I wouldn't dare!" She pronounced every single word meaningfully, showing a whole new side of hers for the first time. He was immensely taken aback by her spirited attitude that he couldn't help himself, so he slowly dropped his hands at his sides freeing her from his entrapping hold. After she finished with her warning and she was finally free to step away, she concluded that she actually had always possessed such a flaming nature in herself and that it was not entirely an act and wondered if _he_ had just awoken it in her.

She only made a few steps away, while he stood glued to the spot dazed like never before in his life, when she barely heard her name being called from the distance.

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Naruto was sitting in the VIP section, with Hinata a few seated a small distance away from him, both of them watching the other two, since their behaviour couldn't be ignored. The blonde was watching the scene in a very thoughtful manner, finally deciding to speak something that was going through his head for a whole minute already. "Hinata-chan, did you know that I set up a whole plan, so they could finally be together?" He remembered of that night when he left them out on the cold, watching from a distance and waiting for the inevitable to happen. He planned it all by himself… him not showing up, choosing a cold night, the romantic setting with the street lights and hoping that they would live the moment of their lives.

Hinata was very surprised by his words and after finally grasping what he said, she asked, "Really?" She knew the whole story from Sakura, but that Naruto was the master mind behind it all was really amazing news.

"Yes, it was last December and it all worked out perfectly. Even the snow was falling and everything." A small pleasant smile speeded on his lips, as the memory flashed through his head once again, but it vanished as soon as he witnessed their recent actions. "Look at them now…even worse than before they started dating. They act like idiots, when it's quite obvious that they are meant for each other." He looked down, feeling sorry for everything that had to happen, not knowing the real reason for their break up.

"Naruto-kun, that is the most romantic thing I have ever heard," she spoke with such a sweet voice and a brilliant smile on her face, just as her heart felt like melting right then and there. Seeing that her crush was such a romantic person deep down, she was enveloped by an incredibly warm feeling.

After hearing her sweet voice, his face lit up entirely, as he beamed his bright smile. "You really think so, Hinata-chan?" he asked eagerly, while staring at her with twinkling eyes. The idea of receiving such an amazing approval by the girl he loved, gave him an amazing feeling in his chest.

"Yes, of course I think that, Naruto-kun," the shy girl, answered in utmost sincerity. "I also know that you are the sweetest guy I've ever met." She blushed after telling him what lay on her heart, but she did not really care, because she felt like she had to tell him that.

As he stared at her sweet smile, a blush crept up his neck and he never felt so much like at heaven before. At that exact moment he knew that he really loved Hinata and that his feelings could only grow as time would pass, but never change.

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A very good looking guy with deep blue hair color — surrounded by at least five bodyguards — entered in the club and every single girl that cast a look at him was about to faint. Though, he did not care in the least about those girls; his humongous ego was in the way, as in he couldn't possibly be seen with some random girl. Being completely aware that he is a walking sex-bomb, he used it in every way possible to get whatever he wanted. He liked to think of girls as mere trophies and nothing more and he always wanted someone special to be added on his list. His name was Takeshi Yuroichi.

His well trained eyes, immediately spotted the pink-haired beauty standing in the distance, illuminated by the disco lights. "Well, well… what do we have here! Sakura Haruno, huh?" His voice was as appealing as his looks, but the look he had in his dark blue eyes was not in the least. He was staring at Sakura in an almost predatory way with a wicked glint present, while thinking of the possible ways to get to her.

His so called best friend Shiori, who was standing right next to him, immediately followed to where he was looking and his eyes rounded in utter amazement. "WOW, it's really her! She's hot!" he admired her looks out loud, but his eyes were soft, nothing in comparison to the one he was talking to.

Takeshi without even looking at him released an unpleasant growl that was meant to show his displeasure. "Don't even think about it, Shiori! She's mine!" he seethed the words with no consideration for anyone else's feelings; or his friend's, or Sakura's.

"What about the guy she's with? He looks like quite the tough opponent," his friend spoke truthfully, but with an ulterior motive to try and prevent another girl from ending up with a heavily broken heart. He witnessed too many girls crying their hearts out in front of him, being the one to clean after _his_ mess.

"He's _nobody_! I can deal with any guy that would stand in my way," Takeshi spoke arrogantly, while still eyeing the new girl for his list of trophies.

"Don't be so sure about it, Takeshi. She seems quite different from all the other girls you've dated." Shiori was still thinking of a way to stop him from doing something terrible. He had to at least try, even though he somehow knew that it was hopeless, since Takeshi was a very hard-headed person.

"Yeah, I know that she's exceptional and that is exactly why I want her for myself. By the way, I found out that she recently went through a very emotional break up, which suits me perfectly." The mischievousness his tone possessed was scary to no end, because it was never meant in a good way.

Shiori was really worried at that point, because Takeshi's games never involved a girl who already had her heart broken and that just seemed so wrong and mean above all else. He attempted to reassure him, yet again, "I really don't think that—"

"Shiori, just stop talking! You better arrange that I get introduced to her. That is your job!" the conceited teenager yelled at him in a very bossy way, without batting an eyelash, but holding a very hard look in his eyes. He always got what he wanted and this time he was especially captivated by the teen star, meaning he would do anything to get her for himself.

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While dancing on the dance floor, Neji stared at his girl for the whole time. "I love when you wear your hair like this." He brushed through her long locks with his fingers, while smiling affectionately at his girlfriend.

Tenten returned the smile and shyly averted her head in another direction, before asking sweetly, looking at him through half-lidded eyes, "Really?" She wasn't used to compliments of any sort, but hearing it from him evoked a very pleasant feeling in her heart.

He encircled her waist and as he brought her closer he leaned in to whisper something in her ear, "You are the most beautiful girl I've seen." Something warm started to envelop her whole body and she couldn't stop the blush from spreading on her cheeks.

"Neji…" Tenten playfully hit his shoulder, before continuing to speak with her soft voice, "you don't have to lie to me. I still love you," she sincerely confessed, not being her first time of course.

He kissed her on the cheek in the most of tender ways, and then he spoke in utmost sincerity, "No, it's true. I just can't keep my eyes off of you." They stared at each others' eyes for the longest moment, expressing their feelings without uttering a single word. Afterward, he leaned to give her a kiss on the lips, which she accepted gladly. She smiled in their lip lock out of pure happiness, as the loud music never bothered their intimate moment.

Afterwards she hugged him, but she could not help but notice the guy that was stealing the attention of every girl around. "Oh. My. God! I can not believe it!" Her loud shout surprised Neji extremely as he placed his hands on both sides of her face and looked at her worriedly.

"What is it, Tenten?" He couldn't find a reason for her sudden outburst, so he simply asked her, while still staring at her brown eyes, trying to find his answer.

"Come with me, I have to find Ino." She took his hand in hers and dragged him through the crowd of dancing people, which did not help his anxiousness cease.

When they finally found the blonde, who was currently dancing with Shikamaru, Tenten without further ado sprouted out, "Ino, you're not going to believe who I just saw."

"Who?" Ino's curiosity for gossip was perked up immediately, shown by the expectant look on her face.

"Takeshi Yuroichi!" Tenten pronounced the name as if he was some kind of a god.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Where is he!" Ino was literally freaking out in the middle of the dance floor and Tenten joined her, leaving the guys to stare at them completely clueless of what they were so excited about.

"Come on, let's go!" Tenten grabbed Ino's hand and started walking in the direction of where Sakura and Hinata were.

Neji and Shikamaru stayed glued at the spot with the same dumbstruck expression on their faces, before following after the girls. "Who the hell is _this_ Takeshi guy!" The pale eyed boy spoke first, his tone of voice indicating that he was annoyed by the whole thing for some reason; most probably sudden eruption of jealousy.

"The male equivalent of what Sakura is, a teen star just as famous as her!" Ino spoke using her 'know it all' tone and shot them with a very sharp look, like they should have known that information no matter what.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, bored to no end, but mostly irritated that Ino had to act like some love struck fan of some _random_ famous idiot and totally forget about him.

"Sakura!" Tenten hollered from the distance, while fast pacing toward her pink haired friend, with Ino by her side.

"Forehead, you have to introduce us to him! You just have to!" Ino was the first to reach her and screamed with a high pitched voice right in her face.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura was completely out of it, but seeing her friends' reaction and especially the faces of the two boys standing behind them was enough to realise that something major happened or at least as major as a girl would consider it.

"Takeshi is here!" As Tenten spoke, everything started to clear up for the teen star, especially why the guys looked so grumpy. She smiled at the thought of Shikamaru and Neji being jealous.

Hinata was beside the girls in an instant, surprising Naruto completely with her immediate reaction to a simple name. "As in Takeshi Yuroichi? He's really here?" She asked shyly, as a small tinge of rose blush dusted her cheeks. Ino nodded at her rapidly, still waiting for Sakura's answer.

"Girls, I am really sorry, but I can't. I haven't met him, ever!" Sakura spoke truthfully, with genuine apology in her green eyes.

"Aww, too bad," Tenten said gloomily, at which Ino immediately turned to say something to her.

"Don't give up! We are talking about Sakura Haruno, as in one of the hottest stars out there, she can certainly get to know him and she'll introduce us all. Right, Forehead?" The blonde turned to look at her best friend, with hopeful expression, the same one the other girls had on their faces.

"I don't know. I can try," she answered hesitantly, with an awkward smile spreading on her rose colored lips. The girls hugged her and squealed simultaneously.

The girls totally forgot about their companions, as they were left aside as mere spectators to everything that happened.

"Who—" Naruto's question was interrupted by the only one that had enough intelligence to know what he would ask before it even left his mouth.

"Some famous idiot they are _all_ obviously so hung up with." Shikamaru was completely irritated, while still starring at Ino, totally losing hope for everything just by seeing her act like that over some idiot she never even met.

At that exact moment, Tsunade decided to show up with no other than Takeshi walking right beside her. He was dressed in all black, but very stylish, looking like a freaking model. The guys, especially Naruto thought that he was way too sparkling for a guy, and in their eyes he looked somewhat like a gay; apparently, metrosexuality was a definite 'no' in their dictionary.

"WOW! He's even more handsome in person!" Ino said, while biting her bottom lip dreamily. The other girls just gasped and stared at him with their eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. Their reaction was mostly due to their disbelief that one of their most favourite stars was actually standing right in front of them.

Sakura was carefully examining his appearance, unconsciously comparing him with the guy she considered as the best looking male that ever existed on the planet. '_He's nothing special. Sasuke-kun is much better looking than him,_' she thought to herself, as her Inner agreed instantly. '_**You got that right! Our Sasuke-kun is a god.**_' Sakura was completely unaware of the internal conversation she had with her more enthusiastic self, or she would have ended it right away.

"Sakura, there is someone who wants to meet you," Tsunade spoke as she approached the girl, but to everyone's utter surprise Takeshi dared to stand right in front of the pink-haired girl and stare at her for a couple of seconds. Sakura was rendered speechless as she looked at him questioningly.

"You are very beautiful, Sakura! Your name suits you perfectly," Takeshi spoke, using his baritone voice, while smiling pleasantly at her. He then looked at her profoundly, in a way that made his eyes glisten magically, before introducing himself in a very nonchalant way, "I'm Takeshi."

"Thank you, that's really sweet of you to say..." She blushed in embarrassment, not used to being complimented in such a way, and then she returned the smile politely. "…and I know who you are… very well actually." He smiled broadly after hearing her response, convinced that he was already leaving his best impression on her.

Someone else was watching the new development with fire burning in his dark eyes. The Uchiha had his eyes scrunched up as he stared at 'the flatterer' suspiciously; he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach since he laid eyes on him. He didn't like the way he talked to Sakura, especially his direct approach and attempts to sweet-talk her.

"I'm Shiori! It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno Sakura." Takeshi's friend/manager interrupted the moment by reaching to shake hands with the female teen star.

"Same here, Shiori-san!" She smiled a small gracious smile, before stepping aside a little bit while glancing at her new acquaintances. "Let me introduce you to my friends." While saying the girls' names, the guys were already feeling revolted by the whole scene for some _unknown_ reason and when she finally introduced _them_ they were all practically glaring daggers at the two pompous teenagers.

Takeshi and Shiori ignored them, something that was known to be their usual way of treating other guys. Shiori approached the girls and immediately started to flirt without noticing the heated looks he received from the bunch of guys standing just couple of feet away. He did that only because _his boss_ ordered him to never interrupt his moments with Sakura and make sure that no one would bother them.

"What an idiot!" Naruto spoke through clenched teeth, while directing a fierce look toward the 'pathetic excuse of a guy' — as he started to refer to the redhead Shiori —who was currently making bold advances on Hinata and Tenten simultaneously, while eyeing Ino up and down with hungry eyes. He was still a jerk, no matter if he sometimes disagreed with Takeshi's mean activities.

"He's actually advancing on my girlfriend and my cousin at the same time." Neji was fuming as he spitted venom by saying those words, already making plans on how to break that guy's bones one by one.

"Very bad move!" Kiba commented from aside, watching the whole scene with stern look in his sharp eyes. After noticing that the Hyuga swiftly took a step forward, apparently to do something drastic, he reached and stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder. "Neji, calm down. Usually, I would gladly join you in kicking their ass, but we'll get our moment very soon, don't worry!" He smirked viciously, as if already planning something very wicked. In an instant all of them looked at him, as they shared a knowing look and immediately knew what he was talking about; sometimes payback could be a very sweet thing. After all, they were not that easily played with and if someone dared to even approach something they considered very precious, it could not be just simply ignored.

Takeshi never left Sakura's side and whispered something to her, at which she reacted with a smile. Afterward, he offered her his hand, offering her with a drink, and she accepted it without much thought.

Everybody saw this, but Sasuke's reaction was the most severe or better said his emotions were highly erupting in something that gave an unpleasant feeling in his chest. It was just like someone had twisted a tight knot around his heart with no intention of ever letting go.

"Sasuke-teme, you better do something quick or you'll be terribly screwed up!" Naruto's voice was screaming his immense worry for even imagining the possibility of Sakura with another guy that was not his best friend; it was simply something undreamt of for the blonde.

"Hn. I know," Sasuke unconsciously spoke, while staring Takeshi down with a very vicious intent gaze.

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Couple of minutes later, after the whole group was dispersed on different places throughout the VIP section, Naruto approached his crush with a single thought on his mind. "Hinata-chan, do you like that guy?" For the first time in his life, Naruto sounded very shy while asking a question. He was afraid that she might figure out his real reason for asking that, but luckily for him the girl was just as oblivious as he was.

"What?" she asked in complete horror after hearing such a question, wondering what gave him such idea, never noticing his shy approach. "No, he's not even my type." She added like she was saying such an obvious thing.

"You have a type?" he asked, completely surprised by her answer. He contemplated on that thought for a while — the fact that Hinata had a 'type' of guy she liked was a really important information that he had to know no mater what. It concerned his future probability of being her boyfriend; yes, he was constantly thinking about her becoming his sweetheart.

"Um… uh…" She was caught red handed, not being able to find an answer to escape the situation, mindful that he was _her_ type in every single meaning of the word.

The last part of their conversation was heard by Kiba, who came to take his cocktail drink from the high table. Immediately, upon noticing the shy stuttering of the girl, he ragged his mind for a way to avert Naruto's attention to another subject.

"Naruto, buddy, you have to see something!" Kiba was pulling the poor boy by his hand, while shouting at the top of his lungs. It was his proved way of stealing the attention from anybody, but it didn't quite work this time.

"But, Hinata-chaaan—" Naruto hollered, while being dragged away by Kiba; he wanted to hear her answer so badly, and receive at least some hope that he might have a chance with her.

"Faster, or she'll leave!" Kiba spluttered the first thing that came on his mind, still trying to drag the persistent boy away from Hinata.

"What the hell are you talking about! Who the fuck is _she_!" the loud-mouth literally growled at his irritating friend and his more irritating habits to interrupt such precious moment.

"A really hot girl that is burning the whole dance floor." Kiba was really good at acting himself with his usual mischievous behaviour, just as if he was talking about a real girl and her provocative dance abilities.

"Urgh… I don't really care about some stupid girl, Kiba." Naruto gave up the struggle and unenthusiastically followed Kiba's step with a cute pout on his lips in complete disappointment. He blamed his bad luck for the loss of a perfect opportunity.

Hinata seeing that Kiba winked at her, immediately understood that he was playing the whole thing, intentionally saving her from her own mouth. She felt extremely thankful to her friend for knowing her so well, so she mouthed a 'thank you' in response; it was the least she could do.

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Ino was standing in front of a seated Shikamaru, who had his eyebrows scrunched up in anger. She looked at him in a pleading way to talk to her, and he surprised her by pulling her down to sit in his lap. "I don't want you flirting with Sai or any other guy ever again," he spoke, before pressing his lips in a hard line indicating that he was very serious with his words, while directing a meaningful look at her.

"Aww, Shika-kun, are you jealous?" she cooed playfully, smiling in quite a satisfied way, thinking of the possibility that Shikamaru was jealous of other guys that paid her a bit more attention.

"Tch. Me… jealous! No way!" he huffed indignantly, disregarding every chance of making himself a wimp, when in reality not aware of the fact that for any girl it meant a lot when a guy was jealous.

"Don't be a meanie. Besides, they mean nothing to me. I could never possibly like anyone the way I like you." She smiled a broad smile as she looked deeply into his brown eyes. The feelings flowing through her were overwhelming her whole being, and he was at a very similar point with his own emotions.

"Okay, I'll admit that I like you… a lot!" As he spoke a small blush reached his cheeks, and being aware of that he looked down to hide it from her and refused to look at her eyes feeling slightly embarrassed.

When she saw his blush, she thought that it was the most adorable thing he could possibly do. "I feel the same way about you, Shika-kun!" she joyfully cheered, as she hugged him out of sheer happiness because of his confession.

Suddenly he got more confident and forgot all about his previous displays of being uncomfortable. "You really have to go out with me some day." He gave up of any further attempts to hide his real intentions with her, wanting them to reach the next level of their relationship.

"Is that an order?" The blonde asked, while playing hurt by his words that he didn't dare ask her first, when in reality her insides were screaming in pure delight.

"More or less…" He smirked while liking the idea of teasing her a bit, before going toward his actual objective.

The sudden mischievous glint in her eyes showed that she knew where he was headed with that response, so she decided to play along. "Which is it… more or less?"

"I think it would be better if I showed you." He then placed his lips upon hers in a very tender way, followed by a more rough movement of his hands upon her small waist. It was part of their personalities to be more intense in showing the passion they felt. They made out for the rest of the night, their relationship finally being officialised.

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"I am so happy that I finally met you. It was my biggest wish ever since I first saw you on TV." Takeshi was completely sincere with Sakura, except that he never spoke of his true intentions he had with her and they were everything but honest.

"I am glad that I met you too. You seem like a nice guy." Sakura was saying those words out of politeness toward someone who was a teen idol just like she was. Her first impression with him was nothing of the sort; in fact she didn't like him at all. Whenever she would look at him a very strange but unpleasant feeling washed over her.

"You are really something special, Sakura Haruno." He was staring at her in a way that made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Thank you, but it would be good if you stopped flattering me." Sakura was extremely aware that he was hitting on her with no shame at all and she didn't like his direct approach in the least; it scared her to some points.

"I just can't seem to stop. I haven't been this amazed by any other girl and you awake the best of me." Those words were something he used with any other girl, a well trained mischief. He reached to touch her cheek, but dared to prolong the moment by gliding his hand to her neck, while still looking at her with those piercing eyes. She averted her head awkwardly, getting totally embarrassed by his bold action. It had always been only Sasuke that touched her like that and she was not willing to change that fact anytime soon.

He recognized the look in her eyes, being very experienced with the girls and their reaction to certain advances. "Okay, I'll stop. I can see that you're being uncomfortable. I am really sorry." He used his sweet voice and profound look in his deep blue eyes that seemed quite charming for situations like this one.

She didn't like the proximity he was always attempting to reach with her. She just met him, for god sakes. But, she did not want to be rude with him, so she told herself that she could handle it, as soon as it meant that it would be just for a very short time. "It's okay," she said while trying to give a genuine smile, trying to be polite.

He immediately thought of a way out of the awkwardness he created with her. "Would you like to dance, beautiful?" he asked in a very casual way, while still attempting to flatter her with his _cheap_ words, convinced that they were just the opposite.

"Yeah, sure. But just one dance, because I promised one to someone else." She was trying to find an excuse and prevent spending more time with him. He was nothing of the likes she would even consider a friend and not to mention what he attempted to become.

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There were many girls standing way too close to the raven-haired teenager who never even notice them, being too mind-consumed by another scene happening in front of his eyes. They were desperately trying to steal his attention, but he paid no heed and kept looking at Sakura.

Sasuke was literally ready to burn inside out, while he watched Takeshi hit on his ex-girlfriend. He refused to accept that fiery feeling that was flowing through his veins as jealousy. His head was pulsating heavily because of the anger he felt, and he convinced himself that it was all just because his plan was ruined by an idiot that showed up literally from nowhere. Sasuke simply couldn't stand to look at the pink-haired beauty while she talked and smiled with _him_ none the less; he already started to develop feelings of hatred toward Takeshi.

Couple of minutes later, never averting his onyx eyes from the two that were sitting way too close to one another for his standards, they stood up hand in hand as he lead her toward the dance floor. The worst thing for Sasuke was to see that her smile never left her face and when they danced the _idiot_ glided his hands on places on her body Sasuke thought of as forbidden. That was the last straw for the Uchiha to be able to completely lose it, and wish for a possibility to disappear from the club in an instant and never witness such appalling sight ever again. '_Fuck this!_' He shouted in his own head and headed toward the exit with no other idea of what to do on his mind.

The only one currently present in their VIP section was Shino, who was seated with two girls by his sides and upon noticing his friend angered pace he stood up and followed right behind him. "Hey, Sasuke! Where are you going!" Shino asked him, utterly thrown off by Sasuke's decision to leave so abruptly without even telling anyone.

"I have to go, leave me alone!" he gritted out, never turning back, just totally consumed by his own aching thoughts. Shino was left to just stand there, not being aware of what he was supposed to do in this situation. After all, only Naruto knew Sasuke well enough to know what the problem was for him to act like this; he decided to tell the blonde about it.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was a complete nightmare for Sasuke. Until Monday came, nothing changed for the troubled teenager; that morning he felt worse than ever. He skipped breakfast and couldn't seem to get the agitated feeling out of his system. While driving to school, he only prayed for a calm day so he could finally be able to set his thoughts. However, that prayer remained just a very wishful thinking on his behalf.

Right after exiting the car, the first thing that asked for his attention was totally opposite of what he hoped for. Actually, it was more like a well aimed punch to his gut. One of the other students was holding a magazine with quite an eye catching cover and it was in direct line with Sasuke's vision. Apparently, things were not working out well for him lately. There, splashed along the whole page was a picture of Sakura dancing with Takeshi, as their close proximity gave the impression of a very intimate moment between the two. But, what bothered Sasuke most was the huge smile on her face, which in his eyes was obvious evidence of showing her happiness.

Afterwards, his eyes finally registered the headline and after reading it he practically fumed in anger.

'_**Sakura and Takeshi: Cuddled up on the dance floor! Real LOVE or just a FLING?**_'

Sasuke did not know what to think, but he was desperately aware of the feeling that was practically burning his insides. Somehow, the thought of Sakura being in love with someone else was bothering him to no end.

Without a second thought, he stormed off toward the school entrance, not carrying that he was supposed to meet his friends at their usual gathering spot. While walking through the corridors, he was welcomed with a greatly shocking image. Students were holding different magazines and whispering about the fresh gossip and he couldn't just close his eyes to that. The one that especially grasped the attention of the no longer stoic looking Sasuke, carried quite an intriguing headline.

'_**Made for each other… two teen idols enjoying the time of their lives!**_'

However, that was not all… there was a professionally well taken picture of Takeshi holding Sakura's hand, while whispering something in her ear as she held a smile on her face. The words and the picture as an added bonus made a ticking bomb out of Sasuke's temper. His facial expression was that of an immense irritation and huge desire to beat the crap out of 'the sleazy teen star'.

He barely kept his patience at bay during the first three classes. The constant annoyed fidgeting he displayed was scaring some of his classmates. His ever present glare managed to shoo off even his devoted fan girls, who did not dare approach him as usual.

Sasuke was completely aware that he needed to cool off and somehow get rid of those annoying thoughts that were swarming his mind and making active volcano out of his feelings. He even skipped lunch with his friends, choosing the roof as his escape spot, where he could undoubtedly be left alone.

* * *

The school bell rang, announcing the end of the lunch break and Sasuke was already in the classroom waiting for Sakura to walk in through the door. He was practically staring, never moving his eyes from the entrance, while his mind was consumed by the same thoughts since morning.

He felt really bad after seeing those magazine covers and now he had second thoughts about his plan to tease her. At the moment it all seemed useless to him, just like Sakura seemed as a complete stranger and not someone he knew for so many years. "Damn it!" he swore through clenched teeth, while slamming his fist over the desk. Luckily there was no one else in the room but him, or he would have lost his reputation of always being the cool and unaffected Uchiha.

Drifting off to a clouded state of mind, he failed to notice the red-head that approached him, who held a mischievous glint in her ruby red eyes. Karin was intentionally taking advantage of the situation that went well with her hidden desires. "Hello, Sasuke-kun," she whispered sweetly, something she considered to be a seductive move, as she slowly took the seat right next to him. He turned to look at her, his expression of utter surprise to suddenly see her right next to him. Immediately, he scolded himself for letting his guard down by allowing those exasperating thoughts to consume him.

"What do you want?" he asked agitatedly, turning away from her and placing his laced hands in front of his face. He was really furious that she picked this exact moment to bother him with her usual nonsense.

"Sasuke-kun, I was thinking about us a lot," she spoke in a sugary way and started to make circles on his bicep using her index finger. "...and since we match perfectly together, I think that we should go out." She was really bold to propose this directly to his face.

He looked at her like she was a crazy person and nonchalantly spoke to her, "I don't think so." Karin was at heaven, because of being able to touch him and his deep voice put her in a trance, so she ignored his words. Noticing that she had no intention of letting him go, he tried a different approach. He hated to be rude with girls, but if they didn't respect his privacy and especially stay out of _his_ personal space, it just had to be done. "Karin, I think that you should just back off and never again propose of such nonsense as 'we should go out together'. Okay?" His tone was very harsh at the beginning, but then he tried to imitate her sweet tone in a mocking way and ended up sounding just like a guy asking a girl out. Unfortunately, the girl received the message but didn't plan to lose her golden opportunity, so she smiled sexily and latched herself on his arm with no intention of letting him go.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

While all of that happened, the pink haired girl walked through the entrance and the state she encountered them seemed totally different in her eyes. Sakura saw Karin sitting at a very close proximity to Sasuke and what shocked her was that he actually allowed it. As far as she knew, he never let people occupy his personal space without his permission and now he wasn't doing anything to stop the girl. Noticing that he turned to say something to the red-head, she proceeded to walk in their direction where her seat was currently occupied by Karin.

What shocked her even more, were the words she heard and came from his lips. "…we should go out together. Okay?" His voice was ringing in her ears over and over again. She felt like knives were cutting trough her chest in a fierce manner, with no intention of stopping. She also witnessed Karin's positive reaction and that smile of hers was an obvious sign that it all happened for real. Sakura didn't like any of the feelings she felt at that moment, so she tried really hard to fight them back. She exhaled deeply, which caught the attention of the other two.

Karin beamed an even bigger smile than her previous one, obviously enjoying herself for the whole situation that happened. She always dreamed of a moment where she would be hugging Sasuke and Sakura would just stare at them with jealousy in her eyes; although, this was not exactly of how she imagined it. Sasuke was literally staring at Sakura's face, as if she was the only person he noticed and Sakura never allowed any of her internal feelings out on the open.

Sakura, wanting an escape from the awkward situation, without more ado addressed Karin in a nonchalant manner, "You're in my seat." She continued to eye the girl, without casting a single glance at the raven-haired teenager.

Sasuke was getting really angry to see that Sakura was actually ignoring him, so completely forgetting about Karin's presence, who was still latched on his arm, was not surprising at all.

"So what if I am!" Karin hollered, at which the teenager next to her winced out of displeasure because of her high pitched voice. She looked at Sakura in a very wicked way, before speaking in mocking satisfaction. "Are you jealous, pinky?" The tone she used, didn't appeal to Sakura at all and Sasuke was actually quite curious to hear her answer to that or see her reaction. That was why he stared at her intently, as she answered back.

"As if! You can grope him as much as you like, just don't do it in my seat." Sakura looked totally unaffected by the whole situation, to the immense displeasure of the other two.

Sasuke's discontent by Sakura's answer was totally unnoticeable even to him, but it infuriated him nevertheless. "Karin, leave! Now!" he angrily shouted at the girl next to him, and her reaction was very fast after noticing the anger in his eyes from up close, so she swiftly let go of him. It was a rare privilege for someone to witness his anger at such proximity and poor Karin was the most recent victim. She just left without uttering another word, as the other students started to fill up the classroom.

Sakura took her seat right next to Sasuke, all the while staring at his face that was turned in another direction. She was trying to decipher his thoughts, but failed to do so as she registered only his scrunched eyebrows. She knew that he was definitely annoyed with something, but other than that she got nothing. The questions going through her head were the only thing she was left with. '_Where was he during lunch break? Was he with her?_' She did her best effort in keeping away all of those unpleasant feelings, evoked by the possibility that Sasuke could be going out with Karin. She stopped looking at him and directed her attention toward Kurenai, who just entered the classroom.

At that moment, it was Sasuke who started to stare at her through the corner of his eyes, wondering about the truthfulness of the magazine covers. '_Is she really in a relationship with that idiot?_' He was practically seething internally as the images flashed through his mind. His attention was finally grasped by the voice of their teacher.

Kurenai started to inform them about the upcoming project that would be of a huge deal for their final grades. "I expect a serious collaboration between the partners I assigned and the project is of great importance for this year's material. I won't accept individual work, because there is a reason why this is called a 'group project'. I'll give you four weeks and each group will be assigned to work on a different topic." After that she started to give out the small pieces of paper, containing the assignments she prepared for the groups.

Rapidly, right after Kurenai finished giving them the info on the project, Sakura turned toward Sasuke and spoke, "Okay, I would really like to keep my grades up, and I believe that you want the same for you." At that point, she looked directly at his onyx eyes, to make her statement quite clear to him. "So, we should leave our…" she trailed off for a short moment in order to find the right phrase for the current state of their relationship. "…_differences_ behind and focus on the project." The word she choose, gave Sasuke unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He ignored everything, as he answered in a very stoic way, showing off his fake lack of care. "Hn. Your house or mine?" He looked at her with a very cold look in his eyes, indicating that he agreed with her about everything, without giving any heed about whatever _thing_ happened between them both. However, his real thoughts were nothing of the sort.

"Mine. Is Saturday okay?" she spoke just as indifferently as him. They were apparently really good at hiding their real thoughts and especially feelings.

"Fine," Sasuke answered shortly in a detached way, before averting his full attention toward Kurenai-sensei and her teachings. Sakura did the same.

For the rest of the class, they both quite frequently looked at the one another, but entirely without their intention. There were moments when they did it simultaneously and Sakura would blush, Sasuke would smirk, as they both would quickly avert their eyes. Her reaction lifted Sasuke's hidden hopes up and Sakura was really optimistic considering her plans to be on friendly basis with him like before. She ignored the other unpleasant feelings that came because of the idea that no other relationship would be ever possible between her and Sasuke.

* * *

It was Wednesday, the day when the premiere of Sakura's new video would be shown on _MTV_. She was excited the whole morning during her classes, which would have never reached that intensity if her fans weren't so supportive. She received so many 'tweets' with congratulations from her most devoted fans and they all shared the same excitement as her.

Her video reached to be the number one topic for the past few days, and it was all thanks to her fans. Despite her anticipation, as the due time neared, she started to feel a bit nervous and anxious; it was because she worried too much over the video and if the expectant fans would actually like it. She hoped that they will because their thoughts meant a lot to her; without them she wouldn't be where she was now, and that is being able to sing her songs in front of the world.

Although, it wasn't all just because of the fans; she had a whole group of extremely excited friends around her all day. She wondered where they found the reason for such displays of eagerness, since it was just a regular video. But, her uncertainty was all over the moment they all managed to transfer all of that excited energy to her. She was practically glowing by the time she went home.

When Sakura entered through the front door, she noticed that her mother was already seated in front of the TV, with a beaming smile waiting for the moment when the video would be played.

Sakura walked in the living room with a small smile already on her lips. "Hey, mom. How are you?" She leaned to place a kiss on her mother's cheek, before taking a seat on the couch right next to her.

"I'm great, sweetie. How was school?" Their conversation from then onward was just the usual that took place between them almost every day.

Couple of minutes later the announcement for the video was made and they both stopped talking, directing their full attention toward the screen as her mother turned up the volume.

_Baby baby  
When we first met I never felt something so strong  
You were like my lover and my best friend  
All wrapped in one with a ribbon on it  
And all of a sudden you went and left  
I didn't know how to follow  
It's like a shock that spun me around  
And now my heart's dead  
I feel so empty and hollow  
_  
_And I'll never give myself to another the way I gave it to you  
You don't even recognize the ways you hurt me, do you?  
It's gonna take a miracle to bring me back  
And you're the one to blame  
And now I feel like...oh!_

"You look so pretty, honey!" The woman was gleaming with happiness to see her daughter on television. But, after seeing the part of the video where Sakura kissed an actor, she gasped in surprise. "Whoa, you never mentioned that you shared a kiss with such a handsome young man!" Immediately, her astonishment was totally forgotten as she trailed off with what she thought was important, "…You are so beautiful." She sighed in a very motherly affectionate way.

_You're the reason why I'm thinking  
I don't wanna smoke only cigarettes no more  
I guess that's what I get for wishful thinking  
Should've never let you enter my door_

_Next time you wanna go on and leave_  
_I should just let you go on and do it_  
_It's not amusing like I believed_

_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_

Sakura just rolled her eyes at her mother's reaction, before asking what she was most concerned about. "That's okay, mom, you said that already. But, what do you think of the video?"

"I like it. It's very suitable for the song," her mother answered hastily, completely consumed in her own thoughts, while dancing in a seated position on the couch; it was a memorable sight for Sakura to see her like that. "Oh, and your voice is so wonderful. I like your outfit… so pretty. Aww, my little baby's all grown up." She then leaned toward her daughter to give her a hug. Sakura smiled and returned it affectionately. She felt really happy at the moment.

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(_**The 'Uchiha' mansion**_)

_Damn, ain't it crazy when you're love swept  
You'd do anything for the one you love  
'Cause anytime that you needed me I'd be there  
It's like you were my favorite drug  
The only problem is that you was using me  
In a different way than I was using you  
But now that I know it's not meant to be  
I gotta go, I gotta wean myself off of you_

_And I'll never give myself to another the way I gave it to you_  
_You don't even recognize the ways you hurt me, do you?_  
_It's gonna take a miracle to bring me back_  
_And you're the one to blame_  
_'Cause now I feel like...oh!_

Sasuke walked past the living room and after taking a glimpse of the enormous screen, he stopped in his tracks. "Wait a minute, did I just see Sakura kissing some asshole on TV!" he practically shouted the question at Itachi, who was seated in front of the TV. It was never his intention to react so quickly, but he couldn't help it; it just burst out of his mouth, as he was in utter shock. He couldn't believe how Sakura changed in such a short amount of time. The Sakura he knew would never do something like that.

"Relax, it's just her new video. The _asshole_ is just an actor." Sasuke didn't miss the mocking tone latched to Itachi's voice. His brother's enjoyment to his uncontrolled reactions was too much even for his own good. Sasuke just glared at him, before turning to watch the video with scrunched eyebrows in attentiveness.

_You're the reason why I'm thinking  
I don't wanna smoke only cigarettes no more  
I guess that's what I get for wishful thinking  
Should've never let you enter my door_

_Next time you wanna go on and leave_  
_I should just let you go on and do it_  
_It's not amusing like I believed_  
_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_

"You know, Sasu-chan, it could have been you on that video," his mother mused, while watching intently at the screen. She liked what she saw, being one of Sakura's biggest fans.

Her _innocent_ comment irritated Sasuke on many levels. He couldn't believe that his own mother would be willing to taunt _him_, her beloved son.

"He could have been more than just a 'video' guy," Itachi corrected casually, while waiting to see Sasuke's reaction, by looking at him trough the corner of his eyes.

The youngest Uchiha clenched his fists and held his lips in a hard line, completely irritated by Itachi's words. "Would you two, please, stop!" Sasuke angrily shouted, before storming off toward his bedroom to try and calm down.

"Clearly, he still loves her. The worst thing is that he never wanted to accept the fact," Itachi commented for one last time, while looking at his brother, who just walked away. Mikoto did the same with a very sad look in her eyes.

_Oh! You're the reason why I'm thinking  
I don't wanna smoke only cigarettes no more  
I guess that's what I get for wishful thinking  
Should've never let you enter my door_

_Next time you wanna go on and leave_  
_I should just let you go on and do it_  
_It's not amusing like I believed_

_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_It's like I checked into rehab_  
_And baby, you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_  
_I gotta check into rehab_  
_'Cause baby you're my disease_

As Sasuke walked in the direction of the stairs, the butler asked for his attention, "Uchiha-san, a package has just arrived for you." The man was holding the box filled with the things Sakura packed and now they were so well displayed in front of Sasuke's eyes. She couldn't have picked a better moment to return those to him.

"Hn," he grunted, as he took the box in his hands and heatedly with heavy steps ascended the stairs. He was shocked by Sakura's decision and especially by her ways of dismissing him from her life. At least, that is how he received this choice of hers and he wasn't pleased in the least. He wondered why he felt pain in his chest and even if he tried to suppress it, it just didn't seem to go away. He never unpacked the box, but left it in one corner in his walk-in closed, with the intention to get it out of his sight.

* * *

The next morning at school, Naruto noticed that Sasuke was not acting like his usual composed self. It was strange to see his best friend with scrunched eyebrows, which undoubtedly showed that he was irritated by something. His facial expression never changed during the whole morning. Naruto was already contemplating if he should try and talk to him, but decided to do so anyway.

Without further ado, the blonde walked toward the lockers, where Sasuke thoughtfully brooded. "Hey, teme. What's up?" he asked, using his upbeat way of greeting, hoping that at least he'll receive some of the usually rude words in return.

Sasuke was not even aware of Naruto's presence, much less his words.

"Did you see Sakura's new video yesterday?" Naruto tried a different approach, being completely aware that mentioning Sakura would get Sasuke's attention.

Finally the Uchiha lifted his head, but his look was completely blank, like he didn't see his friend standing there. His brain finally perceived what was happening around, but he reacted a bit too late. "Hn," he grunted, not as enthusiastically as usual, before lowering his head again.

Naruto noticed that something was definitely bothering Sasuke, and somehow knew that it had something to do with Sakura. "What's wrong, teme? I thought that after buying her album, you'd gladly watch the video." He was attempting to start _the_ conversation and reach the point when Sasuke would begin talking, even though he knew that the video had nothing to do with the real reason why he acted no different than a statue.

"Dobe, that's not the problem," Sasuke spoke in a way that sounded a bit harsh, but it was just the result of his mixed-up feelings that set his temper on a short leash.

Naruto was a very understanding person, so he was very aware of everything and especially considerate of his best friend's feelings. "Then, what is? Tell me." The tone of voice he used was really calm, while he looked at Sasuke with an insightful stare, waiting for an answer.

Sasuke was silent for a short moment, before exhaling a deep breath in attempt to release some of the tension built up in him. "Sakura sent a box with all the stuff I had given to her!" he finally spoke through clenched teeth, without looking at Naruto.

"Well, that's no surprise at all. She also said that she doesn't care about you anymore," Naruto said, mostly because he wanted to see what kind of reaction would come from the raven-haired teenager. That's why he was looking at him intently, but got confused as he found nothing in Sasuke's expression — trying to read the emotions of an Uchiha was a really difficult task.

"So, it's true." Sasuke's voice sounded truly weak, as his thoughts were consumed by everything that he witnessed at the club and all of those magazine headlines flashed like million disturbing lights in his head. '_She likes that idiot for real._' Heartfelt sadness flickered in his dark eyes for a fleeting second.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke?" At that point Naruto got even more confused than before. His intention was to help Sasuke the best way he could, but at that moment he was absolutely clueless of what was the right thing to do.

"Nothing." Sasuke's voice was full of all the emotions he felt, which left the blonde completely stunned. It was definitely a first to witness this kind of behaviour coming from the Uchiha and Naruto was really worried. He was about to say something, when Sasuke decided to speak again. "Leave it, Naruto. I have to deal with this by myself." The look in his eyes was really hard, speaking of his determination, so Naruto decided to stay out of it. Seeing the emotion in Sasuke's eyes, he felt somehow relieved because it meant that his heart has finally started to warm up and the good thing was that it was all because of the pink-haired girl. But, what worried him was what the real outcome would be — if Sasuke and Sakura could actually get together again without letting their pride in the way.

* * *

Later that day, while at lunch break the main topic of their conversation was Sakura's video. At least the girls were the ones that brought it up, lead it and it wasn't even their intention to finish it. The guys were mostly paying attention to what entered in their mouths, but were generally listening to everything that was said. Well, that is… all of them except Sasuke who was just paying attention to everything that Sakura did. She was _his_ everything at the moment and his eyes never left her face. Although, he did it in a very secretive manner, without getting caught.

"You looked absolutely gorgeous. Everything was just so… perfect!" Ino chirped happily while complimenting Sakura to no end, until the uninvited guest who was sitting right next to Sasuke decided to speak her opinion.

"I completely disagree! She's not even beautiful!" Karin huffed, while looking at Sakura in a triumphant way. She led some sort of a competition with Sakura, since forever, even before the pink-haired beauty started dating Sasuke. It was probably because Sakura was the only friend Sasuke had since six years old, that was actually a girl. Karin felt victorious after finding out about their break up and especially since witnessing their lack of communication these past two weeks.

The looks Karin received from the whole table were not pleasant in the least. They all stared her down with dark looks, especially Sasuke who directed his best death glare at her.

It was then that Kiba decided to bark out, "You're the one to talk!" Actually, he spoke quite openly, no tone indicating that he might be joking. He didn't like Karin at all; she actually pissed him off with that 'know it all' attitude of hers.

"What did you say, you stupid idiot!" Karin shouted, at which Sasuke winced because her high pitched voice pierced right in his left ear. He started to get really annoyed and was actually very thankful to Kiba for doing a wonderful job in putting her in her place.

"What! So, are you deaf too! I said that you are the ugly one, you ugly bitch!" Kiba shouted back at her, just as fierily.

"FYI*, I am really hot and beautiful!" Karin spoke in a way that was supposed to state something _very_ obvious, while flicking her red hair with her hand in attempt to show of her beauty. (A/N: *for your information)

"Yeah, right!" Kiba looked at her mockingly, as sarcasm dripped off of his words. "With those hips that are anything but hot!" This time it was a very sincere statement coming from him. It's not like she was ugly or anything; she just didn't match Kiba's standards of girls' hotness.

"Well, hips are in nowadays! Haven't you heard of J. Lo or Beyonce?" She felt like she got him for real this time and he would have nothing to say, but it was _Kiba_ she was talking to. If anyone could get points for always having a fierce comeback for everything that was said to him, it was him.

"Their curves are bootylicious and HOT ones at that, not a baseball field like your ass!" He was obviously referring to a certain negative asset of her body, at least the way he saw it.

"Way to go, Kiba!" The other loud-mouth, besides Kiba, decided to holler his agreement. He high-fived with his usual rival at verbal confrontations; this was one of the rare times they agreed with each other. "I hate that bitch," Naruto whispered, as he lowered back to his chair.

"Shut up, dog boy!" The girl was a bit late with her comeback, but it came out of her mouth anyway.

"At least I have friends among dogs too! Not like someone here, who is desperate enough to glue to a guy with no interest in bitches like you!" Karin blushed out of embarrassment; she really felt sad after hearing that. Sakura noticed the look in her eyes and immediately felt really bad for the girl, because she could relate to her feelings. "Or sit on a table where I'm not wanted!" Kiba finished while casting a vicious look at her, without once thinking that he might have been too harsh with her.

"AAAAHHH!" Karin screamed and the whole cafeteria could hear her, while storming off toward the exit.

It was definitely a scored point for the arrogant boy and his fierce mouth.

Halfway through their bickering Sasuke literally shut them out and though only of his situation with Sakura and how much it bothered him. Her constant ways of playing ignorant, pissed him of to no end.

"Guys, I have to go. See you after classes," Sakura said, as she started getting out of the chair, ready to leave to her next class. Sasuke was quick to follow after her, because he took this as his chance to do what he wanted.

"Sakura, wait." He ran after her in the hallways. They were completely alone there, with a couple more minutes before the other students would start to fill up the corridors to go to the next class.

"What do you want, Sasuke? I really don't think we have anything to talk about!" She attempted to ignore his fast moving pace and tried her best to sound truthful. But, it was all part of her plan to get him to want her friendship back. Although, what he did next was not quite the way she planned it.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, as he used it to spin her toward him, before trapping her between his lean arms with her back pressed to the lockers. "No, I can't take it anymore," he whispered with pure emotion latched to his words, before giving much more volume to his deep voice. "We really need to talk!"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. Chapter 4: Friends I

**A/N:** The song used in this chapter is _"Can't Be Tamed"_ by _Miley Cyrus._

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or the song in this chapter. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**4**__**th**__** Chapter:**_ _Friends_

_-part 1-_

Sakura was staring at his onyx eyes without being able to think clearly, since she was completely blown off by his sudden outburst. She stood stiff as a stone, wondering what got him to be so expressive and act like this. She was one of the few people that knew him well and the fact that he always kept to himself and never acted on impulse was something typical for him, but _this_ definitely was not. His action was exactly like that time, when he kissed her in the storage room so impulsively, without any other thought on mind. '_What has gotten into him?_' she was wondering, while at the same time trying to catch a bit of what was going through his head by attentively looking at him.

At the same time, Sasuke was staring back, captivated by the shiny tone of green in her eyes. His mind was clouded by the many emotions that were flowing trough his system, so forgetting his real intention was no surprise. Her beauty was pulling him in like a very powerful magnet and he started to recall all of the moments they shared together. Once again, just like so many times before, she made him feel the same strong sensations that grasped his heart with no intention of leaving him.

'_Why does she always makes me feel this way?_' he thought, for the first time allowing himself to contemplate over everything she made him feel and how she managed to affect him in such a way. Finally the day came when he decided to leave everything in the past and stop pushing _her_ and everything about her away. This time he did not let himself be afraid of the influence she had upon his feelings, even though it has always been an _unconscious_ fear evoked by the unfamiliar emotions.

Her velvety voice brought him back from his strayed thoughts and he looked at her with a very intent look. "What do you want to talk about, Sasuke?" She was completely aware of the way she accentuated his name and the iciness that was present in her voice; it was her new found method of disregarding the strong emotions that were pulling her toward him.

He finally registered the _small_ change in the way she spoke his name, especially that she did not use the suffix anymore. His heart skipped a beat at the thought that her confession to Naruto was the real thing and that she loved him no more. Sasuke started to doubt his intentions and if actually it was a good idea to talk to her or try to be friends with her again. A rejection was something he could not handle, especially if it came form her; he was an Uchiha, his pride was enormous and he would never allow for it to be wounded. He was silently staring at her, unconscious of his own frozen posture, which was brought on by the cold chills that numbed his body.

By the way his eyes slid along every detail of her face, Sakura knew that he was struggling with something and she could not help but worry for him. Witnessing his almost pained expression was just like a heavy blow for her heart; she cared for him in the most devoted way possible, so this time she could not disregard the true feelings hiding at the pit of her soul. She reached to cup his cheek in her small hand, which was an unconscious gesture evoked by her strong wish to soothe his distress. "Are you okay?" Her voice was so yielding that in an instant made his dark eyes exceedingly soften, before he closed them completely to preserve the warm feeling it gave him. He was tremendously amazed just by the short, but strong effect her voice had on him and especially by the gentleness of the touch of her hand. "Talk to me, Sasuke."

"Us… I want to talk about _us_, Sakura!" Sasuke spoke while slowly opening his eyes to be able to look at her. He stared in an almost pleading way, with so many emotions shown in his dark eyes.

Upon hearing that word that left his lips, Sakura felt like she was falling through a weighty gust of air filled with wonderful scents, almost like she was in some heavenly place. It touched her heart significantly, as if he left his fingerprints on it for all eternity. However, she never allowed herself to hope, so she chose to close her eyes to everything that gave her the impossible expectations.

"There is no more us." She turned her head sideways, avoiding his stare. It was very hard for her to pronounce those words, especially in front of him. His proximity was not of a big help either, which just managed to make her even more distressed. The memories, from the day her heart broke into million pieces, filled her mind.

The excruciatingly stretched silence that filled the hall brought forth painful feelings in their hearts, since they were both consumed by the same memory. It was the sorest remembrance possible, as they both at that exact moment wished for it to have never happened.

It was Sasuke the one that broke the silence, not being able to take it anymore. "I am completely aware of it. You made it quite clear three months ago." He sounded almost upset by just pronouncing those words, which spoke so much of his real desires considering their relationship.

Stunned by his statement and the tone of voice he used, she turned to look at him with a hard stare, almost as if accusing him for something. "So, are you blaming me for our break up?" Disbelief was powerfully latched to her harsh voice, which was the result of her anger toward his arrogance. She could still clearly remember his words, the ones she accidentally heard and were the actual cause for their separation. '_Wasn't it _me_ you didn't want? Wasn't it _me_ you threw away?_' Those questions were just flowing through her head; she did not have enough courage to ask them right at his face. '_…and now when it's over and done you look like you regret it._'

Sasuke curiously examined her expression, before distinguishing the hurt that overflowed in her green pools. Afterward, he let his hands to slide off from their position on the lockers. He took a step away from her and thoughtfully looked away, surprised by the sudden feelings of guilt that overwhelmed his being. "I don't even know what to think anymore." His voice was almost silent, barely audible for Sakura's ears, but she heard him well. At that moment, she realized that he was clueless and was not aware that their separation was all because of _his_ wishes to end whatever he had with her.

"Well, I can certainly tell you that it was _not_ my fault," Sakura huffed in exasperation caused by the whole purpose for their conversation and to make things even worse, his constant ignorance was fueling her temper even more.

The way Sasuke perceived her declaration, it was almost as if she confessed that she truly did not long for a separation, even if she initiated it. '_Was it my fault? Did I do something to hurt her?_' That thought brought forth a very unpleasant feeling at the pit of his stomach; it was like a tight knot never ceasing to tense him up.

"Hn." The grunt slipped out of his lips without being his intention; it was all because of the displeasure he felt after recalling the day she left him in the café. In reality he wanted to hear more of _her_ reasons for the unexpected decision she made and why she anticipated the break up. That was the cause for his constant staring at her in a very longing way, hoping that she will say something of the sort.

However, she could not ignore his immature response, which showed her exactly the opposite of what he intended to; she thought that he did not care at all about whose fault it was or what her motive was. "Could you please stop with that? I know that your vocabulary is more diverse." She shot a fleeting look at his direction, filled with much curiosity, evoked by her own willingness to find out his real intention behind his abrupt necessity for a conversation. "Besides, you wanted to talk… so talk, I am listening," she spoke as nonchalantly as she could, while crossing her arms in front of her chest, which was a habit of hers that she displayed only when anxiously waiting for something.

He wanted to ask her about _that_ night and why did she act so cold, but instead his mind chose a different course, probably out of the insecurity he deeply felt. "You are constantly ignoring me and that is what pisses me off." It was certainly something similar to what he really wanted to say to her, except it concerned the more recent events.

"Yes, of course… I am the one that ignores you and you've been nothing but nice ever since I came back," she sarcastically shot back and lifted her hands showing her disbelief in his words.

He scrunched up his eyebrows in utter annoyance, before asking with much more emotion that was characteristic for his usually stoic attitude, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I can not believe that you actually asked me that!" she hollered in the middle of the narrow hallway, looking at him with fire burning her insides. Sasuke lifted a brow in question, wondering what the hell she was talking about. After witnessing his unawareness, she just rolled her eyes, before answering in a way that spoke of how weary she felt because of his attitude, "You are the ignorant one, not me."

"Hn," Sasuke rumbled inaudibly as he averted his head, looking almost as if his pride was heavily wounded.

"I can't believe you. You are not even being sincere." Sakura got a bit closer to him at the same time trying to catch a glimpse of his dark pools in hope that she might find at least some emotion. After getting a hold of his eyes, she kept looking at him with an intent look. "Have you ever thought that your prideful attitude might be hurtful for someone?" She was unwillingly saying too much just by speaking with so much emotion latched to her gentle voice; it was exactly as if she confessed how hurt she was because of him and his ways of saying things.

Sasuke stared back, being unaware that they were literally in front of each other with a very small space between them. "Well, sorry for being me!" He scrunched up his eyebrows, feeling a bit annoyed by her attitude; he experienced the same feeling many times before and especially with her. Sakura always had the knack to annoy him, leaving him with no knowledge of how and especially why she had that affect on him.

"See… you're doing it again." She wanted to shout at him, but she could not find the power to do it, so it was spoken in almost a whisper.

Sasuke finally registered the soft look in her eyes, but he was not able to distinguish the short glint of the apparently strong emotion that flashed there. He suddenly had the urge to apologize to her for some reason and the worst thing was that he had no idea why. Her expressing jade eyes were the only thing that controlled at least some of his decisions; the ones he was not so hard-headed about and not under the rule of his stoic attitude.

"Okay, I'll be honest…" he stopped for a few seconds and inhaled significantly before continuing with whatever he meant to say to her. "…I might—" she interrupts him by literally pinning him down with the fiery look in her eyes, and then he tried another time. "I said and I repeat, I _might_ have been acting like an ignorant bastard," she smiled at that confession; it was funny to see the prideful Uchiha Sasuke admit that he was a bastard. She imagined what Naruto's reaction would have been if he was here to witness this and she had to suppress a full out laugh in order to not interrupt Sasuke's confession. "...and I… I'm sorry!" He almost choked on his own words; it was certainly difficult for him to apologize to someone, but he admitted it to himself that if it were not for Sakura he would have never done it.

The apology he gave was the most sincere thing that she ever witnessed and actually came form Sasuke. She was amazed by his whole appearance that seemed so gentle, and by the fact that he actually apologized to her. '_He's so sweet. It makes me want to hug him._' As that exact thought crossed her mind, her jade eyes were glistening with that same spark that was constantly there whenever he made her feel so amazing.

Her inner was also daydreaming about the same magical things, but clearly wanted more to complete her own wishes, displayed by her encouraging statement. '_**Well, what are you waiting for? Go for it!**_'

Sakura almost blushed at the thought, that she had to shake her head in order to free her mind from all the images; it was all because of the more passionate side she evidently possessed. '_Shut up! I can't do that._' At that moment she realized that they stood way to close for her own comfort. The embarrassment she felt was evident by the small movement she made with her head, at the same time stepping away from him, and luckily for her Sasuke did not catch onto it.

He was silent for a short moment as he contemplated on what to say next, before deciding to word out exactly what he intended to, ever since he had that conversation with Naruto. "Not being able to talk to you is certainly not something I desire." He sounded truly honest as he spoke, which was also vividly shown on his facial expression.

The whole scene was so incredible to the pink-haired girl that she had to stare at him in utter astonishment. "So, you want us to be friends just like before we started dating." It was a clear statement, not a question, since she already caught up to his intentions with this.

'_No, I want more!_' That was exactly what went through his head and probably his most wishful answer, but his mouth was very fast to stop his _newfound_ enthusiasm. "Yes," he answered hastily.

"I have one condition." Her demanding tone and piercing stare that obviously requested something important from him was not a good sign for Sasuke. He nodded slowly, expressing his hesitance and the anxiety he felt because he was about to hear exactly what he feared that she will say. "We'll have to leave everything that happened between us behind." Her statement was like an unwanted lightning that struck him right in the middle of his heart; what he wished for was exactly the contrary of what she worded out.

"…" He was about to say something to disagree, but he bit his lip before it left his mouth. Seconds later, he willed himself to answer in a very nonchalant way that was supposed to show that he did not really care much. "Sure, that's nothing," he said it almost in a bragging tone, which hurt him as much as it hurt her to hear that.

The unpleasant feelings almost overwhelmed her, but she suppressed them by intentionally focusing on the current outcome. Being on friendly basis with Sasuke Uchiha was not only her wish, but also a step forward to a life without her being hopelessly in love with him. '_It's better this way and exactly what I wanted!_' Sakura wished for everything from the past to be buried deep down her mind, where she would never ever have to think of it.

Sasuke had the impulsive wish to bring her closer to him and revive their romantic relationship, because at this exact moment he realized that couple of months ago she let him live through the best days of his life. He desperately wanted her back, but he somehow knew that it was too early and if he rushed things, it might bring a negative outcome between them. Suddenly, the idea of having Sakura forever by his side did not seem so bad; actually, it consumed his heart with some sort of a calm feeling.

The hall started to fill with other students, and as on cue the school bell rang to announce that the break was over. They both exchanged the same look and without uttering a word they walked toward their next class, the only one that they shared. As they walked silently side by side, contemplating over the whole conversation they just had, some hidden glances were shared between them.

Not being able to take it anymore, Sasuke decided to break the unbearable silence that unsettled him considerably. He wanted to loosen up the tension and get to the point where they could be comfortable in each other's company, because he really had enough of acting as a complete stranger to Sakura.

"So... what do your fans say about your pink hair?" he jokingly asked her, all the while reaching to flip a lock of her hair.

She almost blushed after seeing the trademark smirk spreading on his lips, but mostly because of the small gesture he did. She composed herself and answered in the same joking way he did, "What do _you_ think?" She looked at him profoundly, as if waiting for something, but delight was written all over her face, because she kind of liked his question. "Of course they love it!" she answered proudly, before lifting her head up to pronounce her mocking enjoyment.

"Tch." Besides arrogantly showing off his agreement with that, he had to add something more with his own thoughts. '_How can anyone possibly not like it? It suits you perfectly._' Afterward, he never averted his eyes from her, even if it was a concealed stare from the corner of his eyes, with his smirk permanently residing on his handsome face as it announced his amusement.

She smiled sweetly at his way of saying that he actually found her hair color lovable; at least it was exactly what she supposed after witnessing his eye movement and the glint that lightened their dark shade. It was a very rare act on his side, but she knew it very well, because it spoke of how sincere he truly was.

Sakura and Sasuke felt extremely happy by that small exchange of playful words, probably because it was the sign they needed to know that their friendship was back.

During the whole hour of their Biology class, not much attention was seized from them. Even as Kurenai-sensei spoke, they were only partially listening.

"I suggest you to start working on the given assignments this following weekend, because I want to see the subject thoroughly formulated." Kurenai was very strict in the manner she addressed her students, expecting full dedication on her subject. Sasuke heard that part, only because he was already looking forward to that project and especially to the possibility of working with the pink haired beauty, _alone_.

He wanted to look at her just once, but then he was unable to look away, so he kept on staring at her. As a whole minute passed his smirk widened unintentionally, for he was excessively pleased by the view he had on her beauty.

Sakura felt a burning sensation through her whole body, giving her an edgy feeling; she was positive that someone's eyes were on her. When she turned to look to her right, to where Sasuke was seating, she released a silent gasp after noticing him staring at her. Faint tint of pink started spreading on her smooth cheeks, which evoked him to never stop his enjoyment with this moment.

"What! Do I have something on my face?" She asked by using her nervous voice, not finding any way to hide how he made her feel just by doing such a _meaningless_ action. Her nervousness was evident when she started to fidget with her skirt, and she was relieved that he could not actually see.

"No... It's nothing." He smiled lightly while saying that, before he averted his head in a different direction. When it was safe for him to look at her again, since she was already writing some notes, he glanced for a very short moment and noticed the tinge of pink on her cheeks. '_Cute._' That word was all he could think of at that moment, before he smirked in pleasure.

Red eyes, filled with fire, were watching the whole interaction from across the classroom. Karin was fuming with jealousy as she felt something burn through her veins, making her want to rip the teen idol into pieces. She was clutching the sides of her own desk so tightly to be actually able to control her most desired wishes. '_It's not fair! She has the perfect life and she still wants more! Greedy bitch! ...I'll show her! Sasuke-kun is mine!_' After that thought, she gritted her teeth so harshly, that it almost made a snapping sound.

* * *

Sasuke never realized, but it was just like he was gravitating around Sakura all day long. He could not stop himself from showering her with all of his attention whenever she was in his proximity.

It occurred every single time he saw he in the halls between classes. The first time it happened was right after the fifth class was over. He approached her, while she was taking out some books out of her locker.

He stopped to stand behind her only for a short moment and by using his most seductive voice he whispered "Hey," right at her ear, before walking off. The young Uchiha apparently enjoyed teasing her in any way possible.

Sakura felt chills run up her spine and the pit of her stomach was filled with unexplainable warmth. She turned abruptly, but then it clicked to her that she would recognize that voice even in her sleep. "Sasukeee..." she hollered in with a high-pitched tone and she pierced holes through his scalp as she watched him walk away.

He smiled after hearing her whiny response and turned around to look at her expression as he spoke, "I didn't do anything!" Lifting his hands in attempt to act innocent, he made a very cute face that was supposed to show that he did nothing bad. He was walking backwards and just when about to take a turn toward the other hall he smirked wickedly and then disappeared out of her sight.

"Yeah, right!" she said sarcastically, but smiled affectionately. She realized that she has not felt this happy for a very long time and the most bizarre thing was that it was all because of Sasuke Uchiha — she just could not believe it.

When the next break came, he saw her chatting with that same idiot that asked her an autograph a week ago. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and approached them with a very intimidating look directed at her _supposed_ fan, who at that exact moment noticed him by paying a special attention to the deadly glare.

Surprisingly or rather _not_ surprisingly at all, the guy said quick goodbyes to Sakura and walked off with fast steps in the opposite direction of Sasuke.

"Who was that...?" The extremely irritated Sasuke almost let the nickname, that became sort of a habit of his and he used it whenever he saw the _idiot_, slip out of his mouth in front of Sakura. He held his tongue, in order to not show that he was bothered by the whole idea of her speaking with such a snobbish jerk, who actually had the nerve to shamelessly hit on her in school of all places.

"His name is Haku. He's a very nice guy," she spoke nonchalantly, with an approving and kind voice, probably because of her own racing thoughts on how she perceived her new acquaintance.

"Hn," he just disapprovingly grunted.

"Don't be like that, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hit him playfully on his arm, without noticing that she let the suffix out of her lips. Probably the new comfortable feeling that overwhelmed her whenever he was near her was the reason she added it to his name.

The black eyed teenager immediately, after hearing her say his name with the suffix, felt much better and his mood was lightened up noticeably. However, just when he was about to say something, a very loud voice calling for him is what interrupted him.

"Hey, teme!" Naruto was fast pacing toward his best friend and at first he did not see that Sakura was standing right in front of Sasuke.

"Urgh... the dobe!" Sasuke knew that if Naruto saw him and Sakura conversing in the hallway just like old times, he would never rest his case until he was filled in the whole story. "Sakura, I gotta go." His face and tone of voice said it all, that he just wanted to get out of here, so she just nodded at him and smiled slightly.

As he passed by her, she happily spoke to him, "See you later!" He turned his head sideways and smirked, before waving his hand at her in pretty much a stoic Uchiha style.

When the blonde reached her, he stared back and forth at her and a retreating Sasuke, with a dumbstruck expression on his face. He scrunched up his face in utmost curiosity and rubbed his chin questioningly. Something was not right with the scene he witnessed, but in a good way of course. He just smiled before heading off to his next class.

* * *

Right after classes the over-excited Naruto waited on the parking lot with anxiousness written all over his face. He was waiting to see his two best friends and hoped to see at least one interaction between then that will confirm his doubts. The last few hours he was constantly thinking about the scene he witnessed in the halls and he came to realize that there was only one possible conclusion. '_Sasuke and Sakura made up... at least as friends!_' He excitedly rubbed his hands at that thought and planned on how to celebrate this new happening.

A minute later, he saw exactly what he wished for, but he did not expect to see them exit the school together and Sakura with a huge smile on her face. He was staring at the scene in disbelief with a dumbstruck look on his face, and his mouth hanging open. Deciding to recompose himself before they noticed him, he walked in their direction and smiled wickedly as a new idea hit him in an instant.

"How are my two best friends today?" He wiggled his eyebrows at them, as he waited to see their reaction.

Sasuke glared at him and grunted out of pure irritation; he did not want to deal with Naruto and his cheerful reaction toward his renewed friendly relationship with Sakura. All the while Sakura was smiling sweetly, as a small tinge of pink colored her cheeks. This was the trigger to animate their friend even more, as his happiness grew profoundly, because he waited for this moment to come ever since she came back. He was not disappointed that he did not receive a worded out response, because the expression in their eyes gave him the answer.

Naruto stood in between them and placed his hands round their shoulders in a very affectionate way, which aggravated the Uchiha even more than before. "I saw you in the hallway, acting all friendly and everything." His teasing tone said it all, that they could never possibly escape with an excuse, because he already knew everything.

"Naruto, you don't have to exaggerate. It was bound to happen eventually," Sakura spoke nonchalantly as if she knew from the beginning that they will work it all out, but after seeing the intense stare from Sasuke, she ducked her head in shame and smiled sheepishly. She had to agree that if it were not for _him_, they would have still acted like two prideful teenagers.

Their small exchange was noticed by Naruto, which reminded him of something that he wanted to desperately know. "So, how did you work it out? Who initiated the talk?" He had to ask, because it was really picking his curiosity, ever since he figured it out; he was very well aware that the two of them were extremely prideful and very hard-headed.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed at the ear of the inquisitive boy at the same time as Sasuke yelled right at his other ear, "DOBE!" It was as if they were both scolding him for asking such a thing and trying to snoop in a matter that did not concern him.

The blonde immediately covered his ears and ducked away from them, which was a conscious action in attempt to hide from their wrath. "Okay, okay... it's private, I get it! You don't have to yell at me." After saying that he pouted cutely, while crossing his arms in front of his chest and lifted his head up almost as if in dignity. In a sudden movement, as if nothing happened a second ago, he smiled mischievously at them both, before speaking gleefully. "I am so happy that you finally decided to leave everything behind!"

After hearing Naruto's words, Sasuke felt a small pang in his chest, giving him a considerable uneasy feeling; it seems he wanted something more and the conversation was not completely closed the way he saw it. He looked at Sakura in a longing way for just a short moment, before regaining his cool appearance. Sakura just smiled back at Naruto in a very gentle manner, expressing her comfort. She felt more relaxed than ever, because this was exactly what she needed in order to be able to set her feelings and try to get over him; at least that is what she thought and believed most of all.

In the next couple of minutes, the three were joined by the rest of the group. Naruto mouth could not be stopped as he constantly bragged about the charming new development. Most of them were quite relieved that it finally happened, so they would never have to feel the heavy tension between Sasuke and Sakura, but the girls were the most shocked, since they were wondering what the hell happened. They could not find any explanation for it, because the last time they saw them was at lunch break and they were still not speaking to each other.

Ino was first to approach Sakura and when she brought her a few steps aside to be able to talk to her alone, Tenten and Hinata were very fast to follow the blonde.

"Sakura, what happened? Why haven't you told us?" Ino was showering Sakura with questions, unable to contain herself.

Sakura was about to open her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the brown eyed girl.

"I think the right question is _when_!" Tenten corrected, while nodding her head at Ino.

"Shh, let her speak." Hinata surprised all three of them, by showing a side of hers they have never seen before. She never spoke out loud, but she was really interested in the subject, because Naruto spoke about it so many times while he drove her to school and she was now aware of how much it concerned him to see his two best friends not speaking to each other; it was like he was stretched between two places at the same time. Hearing him speak of their relationship made her feel for him, but mostly for Sakura and Sasuke, since she had the feeling that they still loved each other. She secretly wished for them to rebuilt their romantic relationship; it was no help that she had a romantic soul and her gentle side came to life whenever she saw a true love story.

Naruto, who was so loud that the distance between them was no obstacle of any sort, once again interrupted Sakura in her attempt to speak.

"To celebrate these wonderful news, I'll treat you all to ramen!" The enthusiastic boy was obviously in a generous mood. "C'mon, let's go!" he shouted and started dragging Sasuke toward the parking lot.

"We'll talk at Ichiraku's. Okay?" Sakura said and they all nodded, but were very much intrigued to hear the whole story. Ino and Tenten were mostly interested because of their constant worries for Sakura's feelings.

"Hinata-chan, are you coming?" Naruto smiled gently from the distance and looked at his crush with unbelievable shine in his blue eyes.

She returned the same soft smile, ran gracefully toward him, and entered the car, while he held the door open just for her.

The girls cooed after witnessing that sweet interaction and followed behind with smiles on their faces. This day could not get any better for the whole group of friends.

Sakura was already in her car and when she put it in reverse in order to be able to leave, a purple convertible almost collided with the rear part of her brand new BMW. Luckily she noticed it on time, even though it came out of nowhere, and hit the break in an instant.

"Watch how you drive your ugly car, pinky!" Karin screamed, completely unaware that she was the one that was wrongly positioned.

'_Urgh... she's a real pain in the ass._' When that thought went through Sakura's mind, she was mostly referring to the annoying nickname Karin gave her.

'_**Tell me about it!**_' Her inner was not too pleased by Karin's displays of strong antagonism. She hated her over exaggerated and unneeded comments; they always provoked her to imagine violent scenarios that involved red hair and scissors.

"Karin, we live in Tokyo! You are supposed to drive on the left side of the track, not on the right," Sakura turned around and explained it in a slow manner, exactly as if she was speaking to a two year old.

When her path was cleared, Sakura exited the parking spot with ease. "If she didn't learn that while taking her driving lessons, I am pretty sure she won't learn now," She said that last thing in a quiet murmur, while driving off toward the exit of the parking lot.

When Sakura was out of eyeshot, Karin fumed in anger and dropped her head on the steering wheel in utter frustration. She was literally frightened when a grim looking man suddenly showed up and spoke to her through the open window of her car, "Hey there, girlie." He was dressed in black from head to toe, his hair was greasy and he had a photo camera hanging from his neck.

Karin glared at him for calling her a girlie, because it was very offending in her opinion; she did not even know him personally for crying out loud.

"You don't seem like you are great friends with Sakura Haruno, am I right?" His voice was too screechy for a man and slightly creepy, but the scariest thing about his appearance was that he was really skinny.

"Yeah, alright!" she answered a bit too harshly, but she gave him the confirmation and that was exactly what he needed to hear.

"I could help you get your laugh, when she'll be literally disgraced in front of the whole world." The mischievous glint was quite evident in his eyes that were surrounded by dark circles. His facial skin was dull looking too.

"I am not exactly following..." The girl was a bit irritated by the arrogance he possessed and was actually that stupid to talk to her of all people.

"How would you like to be my personal resource, concerning Sakura's dirty secrets?" He was whispering at that point, while at the same time moving his eyes to look at his surroundings, just as if he was trying to hide from someone.

Karin was even more thrown off by his behavior and a strange but scary feeling overwhelmed her when she looked at his eyes. She did not like the destructive aura he was emitting, sort of like he had a very twisted brain. "I don't know," she answered hastily, with hesitation written all over her face, — it all sounded very suspicious to her — because no matter if it was believable or not, she had a heart somewhere deep down.

Then, he reached out to give her a small white paper that he held in between two of his fingers. "Here is my card if you change your mind. Just call me if you get something valuable." After she tentatively took it out of his hand, he left her speechless, with a thoughtful scowl on her face.

* * *

At the expensive apartment of the male teen star, who had an ego enough for ten movie stars, a conversation that included Sakura went on between the two supposed friends.

"You were right. Sakura is definitely different from the other girls I have dated." Takeshi realized that, only after he witnessed how well guarded she was in the club. He never met a girl like her, so not fascinated by him, which piqued his interest even more.

"I noticed that she had a gentle nature and by the way she held her posture she did not act like most of the girls... you know, present herself as if on display," Shiori spoke in all honesty, while flipping through a magazine.

"I will definitely try a different approach this time," Takeshi spoke with a definite determination latched to his voice.

"Why are you so persistent with her?" his friend asked, as he left the magazine aside, because he was really curious to hear the answer.

"Because, besides being a promising entertainment for me, she can also boost up my career. You've noticed that she is in every single headline, while I am not." The conceited teenager could not be any more selfish than that. Even his tone of voice was smug in its own way. "Imagine how it will be like for me when we'll be all over the papers, all the time. It is bound for us to be the perfect couple that everyone will love." He smiled wickedly after imagining that exact scenario in his head.

"But, you've never been in a relationship longer than that of two weeks." Shiori was trying to divert him from doing such a cruel thing.

"You talk as if I will be faithful in this one," he arrogantly scoffed at Shiori's naivety.

At that point, Shiori gave up, because he realized that it was part of Takeshi's personality to be that much vain. There was a moment of silence in the spacious room, before Takeshi's harsh command was out of his mouth, "You better arrange a meeting with her manager." Afterward, he just stood up without looking back.

* * *

It was Friday and right after school was over, Sakura hoped for a relaxed day to actually be able to start working on her new song. She was about to enter the front door of her home, when a very familiar ring tone interrupted her mid step. She was irritated by just the mere thought that bad news might be awaiting her, and as she reached for her cell phone she could not do much besides hoping that Tsunade had a pleasant reason to call her.

"Hey," she greeted as she held the phone to her ear in a almost awkward way, while at the same time holding the keys and clutching the bag in her other hand in order not to drop it.

"Hey, Sakura. How are you?" the woman on the other side greeted in quite a serious way, but pleasantly nonetheless.

After hearing Tsunade's tone of voice, she felt relieved already, since it gave her the confirmation that the news won't be something dreadful for sure. The girl settled for a better pose and finally was able to answer without feeling irritated or anxious that she might drop her brand new cell phone. "I'm good, just got back from school. What about you?"

"Perfect, so you're free for the rest of the day." The woman was speaking in a hushed tone, almost as if making some plans in her head, before abruptly turning up the volume of her voice in order to answer the girl's question. "I am great, but that is not important! I just had a video call meeting with the executives and you'll have to be filled in some major news, so please be at my office in 30 minutes." Tsunade stopped talking to take a breath, but since she did not receive a confirmation from Sakura for a couple of seconds, she had to ask, "Can you do that?"

"Sure, I'll be there," Sakura answered hastily, still too mind consumed over what could the board want from her. They were the ones that controlled her whole music career; it was a good thing that they were really nice people and they treated her very well and never demanded or ordered her to do things she did not want.

"Okay, be careful," Tsunade addressed the teen idol with utmost seriousness latched to her voice; she never joked whenever the safety of the girl was concerned.

"Always am." With that, Sakura hung up the phone, locked the door and directed herself toward the car she just parked in front of the house. As she sat at the driver seat, she released a huge intake of air, already preparing herself for a work filled day. She somehow had the feeling that it would definitely happen.

She drove off, without noticing the black van that followed behind her, because it clearly held a safe distance intentionally. Even when she stopped for a red light, the persistent follower was right behind her and went completely overlooked by the girl. She never experienced a day when she was in a similar situation or worse... to be actually followed, so it was no surprise that she did not pay attention to what was going on.

At the next crossover, the moment she pulled to a stop, a group of kids screeched upon recognizing the teen star in the car. She smiled when she realized that they were twelve year olds, who just wanted her autograph.

She greeted them cheerfully, with that sweet smile brightening her face, and gave them a signed copy of her album; she always kept a dozen in her car for moments like this one. As she signed the last one, for a very short moment she glanced at the side mirror and recognized a familiar face that gave her a very unpleasant feeling at the pit of her stomach.

When the light turned green, Sakura stepped on the gas pedal, speeding off in attempt to see if he was after her or if she was just being paranoid. Thinking that he was distancing himself was her biggest mistake and she felt relief wash over her on that exact thought as she released the air she kept in. At first she thought that she was wrong and that she was imagining everything, but she regretted it the instant she saw that the van picked up his speed and was nearing her.

'_I have to think fast!_' She was internally panicking, but she knew that she had to calm down and think with a clear head. As an idea came to her mind, she instantly tried to apply it and swiftly took the right turn on the next crossover. She glanced at the mirror above her head and was horror struck when she saw the dreadful black van taking the same turn.

When he raced the distance she managed to provide and was already behind her, he tried to crash the rear part of her car. Sakura was really scared at that point, realizing that she was dealing with a real lunatic. Luckily she was driving a more advantageous ride than him, that had a really good kick start whenever the gas pedal was pressed, so she was able to escape the collision. But, the bastard was persistent, and she willed herself to think of something that could possibly help her, without any delay.

She gripped the steering wheel, making a swift movement to change the lane and she finally noticed that she was in the fast lane. Stopping was no option, since she did not know what he was capable of or most importantly what his intentions were.

Trying to shake him off by driving from one lane to the other in between cars was not of a big help to her. Probably, he was experienced in situations like this, when in comparison her experience was close to zero. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins, as she realized that she was speeding too fast through the filled streets.

The frightened girl decided to call Tsunade and ask for help, because she could really get hurt by trying something by herself. She had her bluetooth headphone on and by giving the proper voice commands, she made the call. The moment she heard the sound she anxiously awaited, she started talking hastily. Her voice was incredibly shaken and raspy, as her eyes were on the verge of spilling the already gathered tears.

"Tsunade, you have to send somebody to help me! There is a lunatic behind me and he's chasing me ever since I left the house. I-I don't... k-know what t-to do!" The moment came when she finally broke and couldn't contain herself any longer. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her heart was beating against her chest with an insane speed.

"WHAT! Oh NO! Where are you, Sakura?" The woman unsuccessfully tried to sound calm in order to not upset Sakura more than she already was. Tsunade was deadly scared for the girl, because she knew that Sakura was an inexperienced driver and her distress could be very negative in a situation like this one.

"I d-don't re-really kn-know! There is a crossover in front of me, so I'll try to read on the signs." Sakura was trying to calm down by taking more calming breaths, all the while checking her side mirrors to check his position. He was still behind her and when she caught the look on his face that was scrunched up in a wicked way with a twisted smile spreading on his lips, she got extremely scared. When the red light flashed in front of her, a really crazy idea came to her mind and she was very aware of that.

"Okay, just try to calm down." Tsunade spoke to her, but it didn't reach the teen idol. "Eiichiro, take the car—" Tsunade's scream were interrupted by something that almost gave her a heart attack.

"The red light is on! I can't stop now and it's the only way to get away from him!" That crazy idea was Sakura's best option, since she did not even want to imagine what will happen if she actually stopped for a red light. "Tsunade, I'm going straight ahead!" Sakura knew that she was doing a very dangerous thing and that it might cost her life, but that man scared the hell out of her and she couldn't possibly see any other way out.

"NO, Sakura, NO!" Tsunade's scream matched her own, but it was Sakura's scream that was heard by every single person in the proximity, as she sped straight trough the dangerous zone. Already past the crossover, she was still in a trance because of what she just did. As an enormous truck, that could have taken her to an oblivion if she was a second later, sped behind her and woke her up with the loud horn.

She hit the break in absolute dread of not knowing what to do next. Her hands were shaking considerably.

"Sakura...?" Tsunade's weak voice brought Sakura back, as she broke into tears, while clutching her face.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay..." She was desperately repeating the same line over and over, trying to get it to her head that she survived this.

"Thank God!" The woman on the other side of the phone released some tears, as well as sinking in her big chair out of relief. She shook so hard, all the while gripping the table in front of her to stop the scream that threatened to leave her. She couldn't bring herself to believe that such a dreadful thing just happened.

When all that just happened passed though Sakura's mind in such a vivacious way for only a second, she got scared again and turned on the car hastily. She drove off and she used the opportunity to escape by taking couple of turns, so the lunatic wouldn't be able to track her again. It was incredible how she found the strength to calm herself and clear her mind to actually be able to drive to a safe place.

It was only thirty minutes later that she got to the building where Tsunade's office was. The concerned woman was already there, in front of the entrance, with Shizune and two bodyguards by her side. Her eyes were red and her hands shook as she reached to envelop the girl. Shizune was crying also, as she hugged them both.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" The young woman screeched, unable to contain her distress. The three of them stayed in that position for five whole minutes, crying their eyes out.

"Tsunade, I recognized him!" Sakura shook involuntarily, before hugging herself in utter attempt to calm herself.

"What did you say? Is it someone you already know?" Tsunade was incredibly surprised and the shock was evident on her face.

"He's that new paparazzo. The one that grabbed me by the hand in front of the club," The teen idol answered softly, while staring at a single spot on the ground. She did not want to remember of anything that could possibly make her want to scream out of trepidation.

"Son of a bitch!" Tsunade cursed through clenched teeth and her fingernails were digging into her own hands as she held them into tight fists. She was now more angry than ever. Being completely aware that she should not display this kind of behaviour in front of Sakura at a moment like this one, she softened her facial features and turned toward the girl. "Okay, I want you to try and forget about this. I know it could be hard, but I don't want to see you bothered by it. I'll deal with everything!" She was gripping Sakura's shoulders as well as looking at her eyes profoundly, with much pleading in them.

"Yes, I'll try." The girl wiped the tears off of her face and attempted to smile, but failed considerably. The only expression that could be read on her face was heavy distress and fear.

Afterward, Tsunade insisted that they go to the hospital for a doctor to check up on Sakura. It was important for her to be okay, no matter what because this sort of thing could leave heavy psychological damages on any person. She did not want to see Sakura deal with real live nightmares or worse have any sort of panic attacks whenever she'll see a paparazzi.

The doctor was having a talk with Sakura, while Tsunade waited in front of the hospital room, pacing back and forth for already twenty minutes. When she finally decided to take a seat, a new problem occurred for her.

Shizune showed up with a slightly reddened face and panting heavily. She was most probably running to give Tsunade the information as soon as possible. "Tsunade, the press is here. They want a report on the matter," she spoke hastily, puffing in between words.

"What! The nerve! How the hell did they found out about this?" Tsunade literally seethed through clenched teeth, all the while hitting the table with a bit too much force, which caused it to crack slightly.

"I don't know, Miss. I will try to find out." Shizune looked extremely scared after witnessing the rage of her boss. She was used to it, but it never ceased to evoke the same feelings over and over again. "Should I blow them off?" she asked and was already prepared to do the job, this time gladly; today she was angry at any person that would like to mend into Sakura's personal life.

"Urgh... I'll deal with them." Tsunade stood up in a swift motion and fumed heatedly. "Shizune, just don't leave Sakura off of your sight, while I'm not here." Before exiting the room, the woman straightened up and put on the mask that she always used when in front of the camera, because she never liked to show her real feelings.

* * *

"The young teen star survived through a horrible exhibition she unwillingly performed with her BMW on the streets of Tokyo. As you can witness on the video that was taken by a bystander, she escaped death by a mere two feet. It is reported that she was chased by a crazed paparazzo, who brought her to tears and provoked the teen idol to do the dangerous action. She is currently in the hospital for a check up. We expect more detailed report later this evening," a reporter was speaking on one of the most watched programs in Japan, as the incident was part of the headlines.

A whole video, taken by an innocent bystander that was filming something else entirely and managed to capture the bold act, was all over the news. The whole scene was dreadful and so horrible that anyone could start screaming after watching the video. The most awful second of it was the one that showed of how close the truck was from crushing Sakura's car. It was crystal clear that it was a matter of pure luck that she survived such a thing. Every single one of the people in the world that actually watched the video could only imagine what an awful thing must have happened to her to provoke her to do something so life threatening. Her fans were cursing the paparazzi and hoped for a well deserved punishment for him.

"This is the unofficial clarification coming from Sakura's manager Tunade Senju, concerning the incident." Right after the introduction by the reporter, Tsunade's angry voice was heard. Even her face was scrunched up in rage, just as it was shown on the screen. She could not hold the expressionless mask for long, because this whole thing was more than she could handle.

"This is not something that should give the paparazzi an encouragement to continue with their nasty work. This is exactly why they should stop chasing after the stars. Today, it almost caused the life of Sakura, which only proves that she is a human being just as any other on this planet. Let her live her life and do not interfere!" Tsunade held herself in a graceful manner, willing herself to hold in the tears that threatened to spill because of the strong emotions that were flowing through her. She could still feel the stress that she felt an hour ago.

"So, are you confirming that the incident was really caused by a paparazzo?" A woman among the many reporters asked, while placing her microphone right in front of Tsunade's face.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying and I promise you that I will get to the bottom of this, legally or in any other possible way. That man will get what he deserves for doing such an ungrateful thing." Her statement was a well thought out threat directed at the psycho that was undoubtedly watching the interview from somewhere.

"Miss Senju, how is Sakura feeling at the moment?" Another of the group of reporters asked the question.

"She is extremely distressed," Tsunade said that with a heavy heart, because she felt just like she was giving out a part of Sakura's personal life, but she knew that she could not ignore the question. That was the reason for her short answer, detached from spilling out some unnecessary details.

"Will she be able to perform on the concert in two weeks from now?" The rudely asked question or better said an accusation was a blow for Tsunade, as she felt like she needed to defend Sakura and her professionalism toward her work. It wouldn't be imaginable for Sakura to miss out the only two thing she most loves about her work, and that is to perform and satisfy her fans.

She decided to just ignore the question, just as rudely. "I have no further comment."

"But, Miss Senju, we want to know if—" The reporter was harshly interrupted by Tsunade's piercing stare.

"This interview is over!" She increased the volume of her voice and blew them all off by turning her back and walking off. If she stayed any longer she would have given them a little piece of their mind.

* * *

Sakura's friends were all watching the TV from their homes and were already panicking all the way toward reaching madness and possibly loosing their minds. The fact that it was reported that she experienced a car accident and was currently at the hospital was making things even worse. None of them was able to reach Sakura on her cell phone and did not know any other possible way to reach her.

The girls needed so much attention from the guys, as they were literally freaking out. Luckily Naruto was at the Hyuga mansion when the news reached their ears, because Neji wouldn't have been able to calm down both of the girls.

Shikamaru was speeding to reach Ino's house on time, being completely aware that she won't be able to go through something like this alone.

Sasuke felt scared more than ever. It was like someone pierced him with thousand knives, with a special attention to his knees. He could not stand firm on the ground, when his legs failed him and he hopelessly landed on his knees. His brother was with him and the only possible person to reason with him. It took some time, and as soon as Sasuke was back to his senses he rushed out of the house and was already headed to the city hospital.

The next thing they all did was call each other in hopes that someone might know what really happened and if Sakura was okay. But, none of them knew anything.

Sasuke was in his car when his phone started to ring. Upon seeing the caller ID he just answered right away, "I know, I am already headed there!" His voice was not cold or anything similar to that, but mostly concerned.

"Okay, I'm with Hinata. Neji and Tenten are right behind me," Naruto gave the confirmation that he was doing the same thing.

"I should be there in fifteen minutes." They were conversing in such a strange way that was proof of how well they knew each other. No questions were asked, but they knew what answers to give to one another.

"Twenty. Call me when you'll see her, if you can!" The blonde hastily spoke.

"Okay!" That was it, the last word they shared before both hang up.

* * *

The first ones that arrived in the facility were a very distraught Ino with Shikamaru walking by her side, who never let go of her. She was literally shaking and sobbing in her hands that covered her whole face, as her boyfriend was the one that led her in the right direction. Chouji and Sai were with them too, following right behind them.

When they finally reached to where their friend was getting checked, they could see Sakura's parents there. Her mother was crying in the arms of her husband. Deciding to not disturb the already worried parents, they stood there and waited for any sort of information or even better get the chance to see Sakura.

Her mother and father were conversing with Tsunade, and by the look on their faces they were extremely worried for their daughter's safety.

"Please, Tsunade, find someone to protect her," the man was most seriously pleading by asking in the most frantic way possible.

"That is already taken care of. She won't make a single step without her personal bodyguards." That was all she could offer in means to give them at least some guarantee concerning Sakura's protection.

"I don't think that I can take it anymore." Her mother was already considering the only option to prevent her daughter from further danger, which was to stop her career as a singer.

"Calm down, sweetheart. Everything is fine. She's fine." The man was trying his best to comfort his wife. Seeing her like this was breaking his heart, especially since he was worried as much as she was. The same thoughts were going through his head also, but he knew that if they asked Sakura to do such a thing, that would only make her unhappy.

Relief washed over the four teenagers, when they heard those exact words. It was like the heavy stone that was suffocating their chest was gone and they were finally able to breathe with ease.

In a minute or so, the girl finally exited and was immediately attacked by her mother and father, who could not help themselves. Seeing it with their own eyes, that their only child was safe and sound, brought them extreme relief and happiness. The woman was kissing Sakura on the cheeks as her father stroked the locks on her hair, both with a smile on their faces.

The heart melting moment shared between the family, could not possibly bring any of the observers including Sakura's friends and manager, to interfere or interrupt it.

When Sakura noticed her friends, and saw Ino with puffy red eyes, she realized that they must have been really worried for her. After seeing them there, it was already well set in her mind that the incident must have been all over the news. She considered it as the most awful way for someone close to her to find out about the whole thing. That was the reason for her to smile an apologetic smile at their direction as she approach them.

Her best friend was there in front of her and in a very short moment they were in each others arms. Ino was no longer crying, because she already dried her tears in the past hour. It was a very heavy blow for her ever since she heard the dreadful news; at first she thought that Sakura was seriously injured, but luckily Shikamaru was there to prevent her from going into a hysterical shock.

They were all relieved that everything was already over and thanked the heavens for the positive outcome. Shikamaru, Sai and Chouji were there for Sakura as well, and offered her with their support by friendly squeezing her hand. Sai was a little bit more expressive this time and gave her a warm affectionate hug.

* * *

As Naruto drove toward the hospital, Hinata was crying non-stop, which worried Naruto even more than before.

"Hinata-chan, please calm down. I'm sure Sakura is okay. Don't worry," he said that to her, wanting to reassure the girl, but in reality he wasn't too confident in his own words. The only thing he was aware of was that his heart was beating erratically in anticipation to see that his friend was alright.

Hinata, always being the girl that cared too much for everybody, scolded herself for distressing Naruto with her behaviour. "Naruto-kun, I am sorry." She looked at him with those bright eyes and a sincere apology could be distinguished there, when it wasn't really needed. After all, she was looking at Naruto, the one person that would do everything for her and never ask anything in return, especially not an apology for her actions.

He did not want to see her look so sad, because it was wrecking his heart. "You don't have to apologize, I'm here for you." He reached out and offered her with a small piece of white cloth. She could not believe her eyes... Naruto was actually giving her a handkerchief that was actually his. Who knew that he will carry something like that with him; it was so sweet. "Now, please, wipe those tears away. Okay?" He was so gentle in the way he spoke to her, she was almost ready to cry tears out of joy if she wasn't still thinking about Sakura.

She nodded her head, taking the handkerchief out of his hand and proceeded to wipe away her wet eyes. She smiled slightly for him, since it was all she could manage being worried sick for her friend.

* * *

Sasuke entered the hospital with a permanent scowl on his face. He almost scared the nurse that gave him the right directions to where he could find Sakura. He was moving fast through the hall and when he finally spotted the pink hair of the girl, he could feel the heavy feeling leaving him. It was just like painful needles were poking through his chest, until he saw her standing there.

The moment she turned around and their eyes met, it was like the time stopped and they could only see each other. The next second she was walking toward him, he unconsciously spread his arms, already awaiting for her to come to him. It was exactly as if he knew what was going through her head and that she needed a hug, one that was from him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! It was awful." She cried in his chest, clutching his shirt in between her small fingers, never wanting to let go of him, because she needed his comfort. In reality, she wasn't hugging her ex-boyfriend, but one of her best friends.

"Shh... you're safe now. I'm here and I won't ever let anything happen to you," he spoke in a hushed tone, trying to soothe her by stroking her hair with a very gentle movement.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, quieting her cries. She really felt like she needed to thank him for just being here for her.

"Sakura, you'll have to promise me something." A serious tone was latched to his deep voice.

"What?" A small smile spread on her rosy lips, waiting to hear his answer.

"Don't do something like that, ever again. I won't be able to live trough it." As he said that the firm hold he had on her tightened profoundly, speaking of his own intense feelings.

After releasing his hold on her, she stepped back a bit, having only one wish, and that was to look at him. She could not believe that he said something like that, because it meant that he actually cared for her deeply. Maybe it wasn't the way she wanted, but it was something meaningful nevertheless. She would never have to live with the aching thought that he doesn't actually care for her, because she now had the proof. Seeing how pleading the look in his eyes was, reminded her that she had to answer something and give him the assurance he needed. "Trust me, I won't," she said softly, as she leaned her head downward, avoiding his eyes in order to not show him that she still was a bit distressed over the matter.

He looked at her in a deep way, as he lifted her chin to look at him. He just had to see those green eyes of hers, in desperate need for an assurance that everything was okay with _his_ Sakura. "Now, smile for me, please." The pleading could be seen in his dark eyes that were expressing his most sincere feelings at the moment.

She smiled tenderly, and he smiled in return before enveloping her in a tight hug. "I am so glad that you are okay," he spoke quietly right at her ear, tingling her soft skin with the hot air that left his lips.

"Me too, Sasuke-kun." She returned the hug by encircling his waist, desperately holding herself tightly pressed against him, because it somehow gave her a calming feeling and she felt extremely safe in his arms.

At that exact moment, while they held each other, Naruto showed up with Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Lee and Shino fallowing behind him.

"Sakura-chan!" His loud voice was heard by every occupant in the hospital hall, but he did not care even a bit. All he was thinking about was Sakura and that he could finally see her standing there, with not a single scratch on her. When he reached her, she turned toward him and he was very fast in enveloping her in a hug. "I was so worried." It might be unbelievable sight to behold, but Naruto was crying for real.

She backed up a bit in order to look at him and seeing the tears flowing over his cheeks was something she could not bare to watch. She touched his cheeks with both of her hands and wiped the tears away. "Naruto, please, don't cry. I'm fine," she softly whispered and smiled in attempt to cheer him up.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and spoke to her with a shaky voice as the tears were still prickling his blue eyes. "I was really worried."

"Oh, Naruto." Sakura was torn after seeing him like this. She hugged him once again in a very affectionate way.

Then, the girls joined the hug, not knowing what to say. Seeing that Sakura was okay was enough for them and nothing else was needed; no words could possibly give them more joy.

Watching the scene from aside, Lee finally released the tears he was trying to hold in and followed after the girls. Sakura looked at him and smiled slightly, knowing that he wanted to see her smile.

Later, after Sakura reassured them that she will be fine and that she had Eiichiro by her side, they left the hospital.

* * *

By the wish of Tsunade, they were brought back at the head quarters. She was infuriated and immediately demanded a meeting with all of the employees.

The entrance she presented to the main hall was something not many people were capable of doing. Her beautiful face was scrunched up in rage and deadly scary for any observer. "Who the fuck called them!" Tsunade was in front of the whole group of people that worked for her and the only ones that knew of what happened to Sakura. "SPEAK!" She screamed like never before in her life, more angry than an untamed lion. "If I find out that the resource is one of you, I promise you that there will be severe punishment!" Her finger was pointed at every single person in the room and her eyes were blazing with fury and determination to find the responsible.

Later, at Tsunade's office, she initiated a much needed talk with Sakura.

"You've always denied to have bodyguards follow your every step, but this time it's not a matter of question. I will assign Eiichiro and another man to follow you everywhere. Are we understood?" She directed a sombre look at the teen idol, not giving any chance for an alternative in her decision.

"Yes, and believe me it will make me happy this time, because I don't think that I can take it anymore." Sakura crossed her hands in front of her chest, as well as leaned on the chair in a tired manner; she was already drained because of all that happened.

"Great, and it will make me less worried." The woman was very serious concerning her own statement. "Now, you may go home. Eiichiro is already on position!" she said it in a commanding tone, not wanting to tire the girl with anything else, because she experienced enough for one day.

"No, I am not going home. I want to know what I came here for." The girl used her demanding posture and was not even thinking about giving up on her own decision.

"Sakura, you had a rough day. It would be best if you go and take some rest," Tsunade worriedly spoke to her, with a very gentle look on her face.

"Tsunade, please... I want to forget about _that_!" She squeezed her eyes shut in pain and when she opened them, a desperate pleading could be seen in them. "Please, I need a distraction." Her voice was quiet, but extremely frantic.

Tsunade started at her for a long moment, before making a decision concerning Sakura's request. "Okay, you can stay." She had a very soft look in her eyes as she spoke in a tender way.

"So, what did the board want?" Sakura asked, while relaxing herself in the chair, already feeling much better just by knowing that she found the distraction she hoped for.

"Well, many things actually." She leaned to take something out of one of the drawers in her desk, before continuing to speak, "This is your new schedule for the next two months." She gave the paper to Sakura. "You will have to apologize to your friends, but this is important." The look on her face was extremely apologetic, because she understood what it meant to not have time for your precious people.

"I was prepared for something like this. I am fully okay with it." Sakura could not find any reason for complaint; after all she was very aware of the fact that fame came along with some negative effects upon someone's life.

"First, they sent a new song that is written by one of the best songwriters in the world and they wanted you to try it out in the studio, today," Tsunade was already speaking in a formal way, as she reported the most important news from the meeting.

"And, you planned to send me home!" Sakura looked accusingly at her manager.

"Of course! You are more important than what the board wants or some shitty song," Tsunade spoke as if stating the obvious. "Well, it's not shitty, but you get what I mean." She smiled slightly, after she corrected her small mistake in choosing those exact words.

"This is actually more exciting than what I expected. I can't wait to enter the studio." At last, there was a smile on Sakura's face after that awful episode. "You said there were more things..." She was curious to hear more, as it was evident by the shiny tone of green in her eyes.

"Yes, the other thing is concerning your concert in two weeks." Her reference was a much known topic among them, since it was planned to be the biggest concert Sakura ever had. "The commercial is airing today for the first time and the billboards are placed as we speak. You have rehearsals with the dance crew every single day. It's all in the schedule." She motioned with her hand toward the paper that was in Sakura's hands. "Lastly, you will have to immediately start rehearsing for the award show, right after that weekend."

Sakura was aware that she had to make quite a show in two months, at the night the Award Show will happen. She was invited to be one of the performers and it was really making her nervous to think about that. Tsunade and the executives wanted for her to go out on stage with three brand new songs and she supposed that this new song could be one of those.

"Okay, I am not complaining," Sakura spoke nonchalantly, already used to a work filled agenda. "Now, let's go see that song." The excitement she felt was evident by the look on her face as well as by the enormous smile on her rosy lips.

They exited the office and walked toward the elevator in order to get to the recording studio. When in the studio, Sakura was on red alert, paying attention to everything that happened or was said to her. She was really professional when it came to her work as a singer.

"The board wanted you to step into a different level of your career. I thought that it was a bit too soon, but if it's okay with you, we'll do it," Tsunade spoke to her first, before allowing the expert in that area to continue.

"It's quite different from your other songs. It's more provocative and sexy, since more of your sex appeal should be shown." The young man that was there to bring the best out of Sakura's voice and produce the song, addressed her in a very affectionate way. He was very fond of her and they were already used on working together.

What followed next was more of a professional talk that involved the music, how the production will be done, what was the right way of performing the song and the best way for her to find the connection between the lyrics and the music.

"I kind of like the idea. Great, I'll do it!" Sakura was already looking forward to finishing this song, especially since it was someone else's work. It was sort of like a challenge for her.

Some preparation had to be made beforehand, especially when it concerned her voice. A special drink, consisted of yolk, was brought to her and she had to drink it before trying out the song just as she always did. She entered the recording studio with enthusiasm and strong wish to do a great job while singing it.

_For those who don't know me,_  
_I can get a bit crazy,_  
_have to get my way, yep_  
_At 24 hours a day,_  
_Cause i'm hot like that_  
_Every guy everywhere just gives me mad attention_  
_Like i'm under inspection_  
_I always get a ten cause i'm built like that,_  
_I go through guys like money flyin' out the hands,_  
_They try to change me but they realize they can't_  
_And every tomorrow is the day I never plan,_  
_If you're gonna be my man, understand_

_I can't be tamed_

...

Sakura sang the song extremely well, bringing up a very powerful feeling to it. Tsunade and the other people that worked on the song were absolutely amazed and were already expecting a great final result for when the song production will be completed.

_..._

_I wanna fly I wanna drive I wanna go,_

_I want to be a part of something I don't know,_  
_And if you try to hold me back I might explode,_  
_Baby by now you should know,_

_I can't be tamed,_  
_I can't be tamed_  
_I can't be blamed_  
_..._

They recorded the song for hours, with many breaks in between for Sakura to be able to get some rest. It was needed for her to sound refreshed and relaxed.

After getting so tired that she could do nothing more without yawning three times in one minute, they finally decided that it was enough for the day. Usually they worked for so many hours on Sakura's behalf, since she was the one that wanted to work as much as it was possible for one day. That was the only possible way for her to get more free time for her friends, but the lack of sleep could be a downfall for her, so Tsunade had to get in control sometimes.

"What are your plans for tomorrow night? I have some VIP passes for a really awesome place. My friend Jeraiya is the owner," Tsunade spoke to Sakura, while checking out some papers on her working desk. They were both currently at her office.

"Maybe another time. We're having a get-together at Naruto's place." Sakura was really thankful for having at least one night for herself, before the packed up schedule works it's magic.

"Oh, that's nice. Is that the blonde boy with the whiskered face?" The woman asked with extreme curiosity. Even her elegant eyebrows were raised in marvel by Naruto and his cheerful attitude, which really picked her interest.

"Yeah, that's him," Sakura answered nonchalantly, never wondering why Tsunade was interested to know about Naruto.

"I like him. He seems... I can't really describe it, but there is something very bright about his appearance." Thoughtful scowl was marring her feminine features.

Sakura smiled sweetly, releasing a pleasant sound. "Yeah, everybody loves Naruto!" She said it with much honesty, already remembering all of the times when Naruto changed every single opinion anyone had about him in a positive one. He had that affect on people, especially on the ones that were lead by negative thoughts.

"What about the handsome heartbreaker? What's his name?" Tsunade was planning to ask Sakura about him, ever since she first saw him. Especially their interaction was something that made her particularly inquisitive.

"Sasuke Uchiha." The girl was very fast to answer the question, but when the realization struck her hard, she gasped in slight shock. "Hey, how did you know that he's the one—" She was really surprised to find out that Tsunade knew that Sasuke was the one she cried for. His name or the description of his appearance never left her lips in front of Tsunade; only their story was involved in the conversations she shared with her.

"Sakura, there is nothing that could possibly escape my eyes." She smirked mischievously, before lasing her fingers together and holding her hands up in front of her face.

"Right," Sakura spoke slowly, still astonished over the whole idea of her being so plainly obvious. '_Am I really that obvious?_' she was silently wondering, but mainly getting anxious and extremely nervous that Sasuke might have read through her actions and already knew that she still felt something for him.

It was as if Tsunade read her mind, because her next words were a definite attempt to reassure the girl. "Don't worry, I am sure he still hasn't noticed anything."

"Still?" Her eyes were widely open, as she refused to let that possibility soak in her mind, because it would have driven her to madness. "Oh, that's very comforting." She tried to joke about it, but it came out as a statement that spoke of her wavering self-assurance.

She received an almost silent laugh for her failed attempts. After all, she amused Tsunade to no end with her ways of trying to ignore the feelings that could not be ignored. "So, how are things with him? After what I saw today at the hospital, everything seems to be—" Her well intentioned prying was interrupted by the girl's dreamy sigh.

"Well... pretty much okay," She shyly answered, with a bright smile spreading on her beautiful face. Tsunade smiled at her answer. Afterward, Sakura yawned and rubbed her eyes, already showing signs of sleepiness.

The woman noticed that Sakura was tired and she wanted to say one more thing before letting the girl go to take some rest. "Before you go, I should remind you that you better start working on that new song. You know that it should be recorded a whole week before the Music Awards."

"I know, but I can't find my inspiration." Sakura's mood want downward in an instant, because of the lack of motivation. A very sad expression covered her gentle facial features. She would never forgive herself if she didn't write the song as promised.

"I'm sure you'll find your inspiration, so don't worry." Tsunade was trying to encourage the girl by subtly telling her to never give up on her amazing talent.

"Let's hope so," she drowsily spoke, while leaning her head on the desk in front of her.

Tsunade could no longer watch the girl go through such a torture and work herself to death. It was clear that she was in a desperate need of sleep. "Okay, now go! I can see that you are extremely tired and you need to rest," she pronounced the last words in a commanding way, as she spoke in a very motherly way.

Tsunade followed her to the exit, where Eiichiro was waiting to escort Sakura to her home. He received a nod in confirmation from the woman and they were already headed toward the enormous bullet-proof SUV.

Sakura was home at two in the morning, and she felt more tired than ever. The only thing she thought of for the last couple of hours was her soft bed that awaited her so openly. Now, she could actually see it in front of her and the only obstacle were the clothes she wore for a whole day since the morning.

She wanted to get out of them in an instant and when she managed to do it, she wished for something light to sleep in it. She went to search through her nightie drawer and the first thing that her fingers touched was something silky. The soft material appeared very appealing to her at the moment and she put it on with no second thought. The very next second, she was already cosily slumped in between her bed covers and not a single minute passed before she was completely out.

However, she totally forgot to set the alarm clock to wake her up at eight. Sasuke was supposed to come, so they could work on the project together as it was planned and she needed time to get ready. One hell of a surprise was awaiting for her in the morning.

* * *

It was five minutes to ten in the morning, when Sasuke was in front of the Haruno household. He rang the doorbell, expecting for the pink haired girl to open the door for him. However, when an older and slightly different version of Sakura was the one that answered in her place, he was a bit surprised. However, he looked as stoic as ever, when he opened his lips to speak, "Good morning, Mrs Haruno. I am here to see Sakura." His way of speaking was quite different from the times when he spoke to his friends, since he was well mannered and polite when addressing an adult.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Come in." The woman asked him to enter by motioning with her hand in invitation. Immediately after closing the door, she turned around to speak to the teenager. "Sakura is not ready yet. You know, she came really late last night and she might have slept in, but I'm sure she's already up. You can wait in the living room, she'll be down soon." Sakura's mother always looked pleasing to the eye of any observer whenever she spoke.

"Oh, hello there!" A man with quite the soft voice that was characteristic for his age greeted Sasuke. He was descending down the stairs in a graceful way, showing off his handsome appearance. It was no surprise that he was still as good looking as he once was, since being a former model meant a lot. His hair color was that of a chestnut and his eyes were the same as his daughter.

"Mr Haruno." Sasuke bowed slightly in a respectful manner as he greeted the man.

"We are kind of in a hurry, so make yourself at home. If you get thirsty, you already know where the kitchen is." Sakura's mother always treated her daughter's friends with much affection, because she was used to seeing them since they were all small children. Her husband opened the door and before taking another step she turned toward Sasuke. "Send my regards to your mother." The woman smiled softly, as she bided the teenager goodbye in a way much similar to Sakura's joyous trademark fashion, but it was different by the womanly elegance she presented. It was widely known that the girl, besides the color of her hair, also inherited the cheerfulness from her mother.

They were both out of the door, leaving Sasuke alone in the house.

* * *

Sakura's father stopped walking and turned to look at the house, with a thoughtful scowl on his face. "Is that the boy she used to sneak out of the house for?" he asked his wife, after he had a flashback of memories of his daughter tiptoeing out of the house at night.

"Yes, that's the one." He received a casual answer in response, but she smiled slightly at the pensive expression on her husband's face.

"I don't think that it is a good idea to leave them alone." He felt a bit uneasy with that idea, but he was still somehow not too strict in setting rules for his daughter. The way he raised Sakura gave him a feeling of easiness, because he trusted his daughter's judgment.

"Don't worry, honey. He is a nice boy and you already know that our daughter is very responsible." She reached to place her small hand on his shoulder, offering him with reassurance, besides being aware that he didn't really needed it. After all, she knew his thoughts even before they struck his mind.

Upon noticing the black Ferarri that was parked in front of his house, he had to react with amazement. "Wow, he drives a nice car!" His tone of voice was that of a manly appreciation.

"Of course he does, he's an Uchiha," she just spoke in a way that was supposed to state the obvious.

"Fugaku's son?" His wife nodded in confirmation to his question that was asked in pure disbelief. "...I didn't recognize him. Well, that is good. He is a nice man and I am sure his son is well raised," he stated that in absolute honesty.

"Like you had doubts before." Her teasing was well accepted by her husband, as always.

"You know me so well, sweetheart." He chuckled softly and affectionately wrapped an arm around her still thin waist. They were in love as much as any other young couple, as well as very expressive about their feelings toward each other.

* * *

Sakura's mother was quite wrong when she thought that her daughter was already up, because the girl was still soundly asleep in her warm bed. It was already ten o'clock when the alarm on her blackberry started to beep. It was set as a reminder in her calendar of activities that it was time for her and Sasuke to work on their project. She sleepily shut it down and she was sill not fully awake to actually notice the time or think with a clear head, but nevertheless quite aware that she desperately needed a cup of coffee.

Being as tired as she was, deciding to go downstairs and ask her mother to prepare a cup of coffee was the most reasonable thing she could come up with. The much needed shower was second on her list. She rubbed her eyes, as she reached the staircase and silently walked down the stairs. Her bare feet did not make a sound as she reached the kitchen without catching the attention of the Uchiha, who was silently waiting for her in the living room.

Still not fully through the kitchen entrance, she already started to speak, expecting to find her mother already there. "Mom, could you make me a coffee, while I take a show—" She stopped herself from saying another word, as she stared questioningly at the empty room and wondered where her mother went.

* * *

Sasuke was seated on the living room couch for already five minutes, when he heard Sakura's drowsy voice from somewhere in the house. He abruptly stood up and as he turned around he heard her once again, but this time more clearly.

"Mom, where are you?" At that exact moment, Sakura walked in the living room.

He was staring at the unbelievable sight in front of him, with his eyes as wide as saucers. It was certainly a sight to behold, since it managed to evoke that extreme reaction from the usually well composed Uchiha.

"Sakura..." The breathy way of pronouncing her name, spoke of how outright amazed he was by the look of her.

Sakura was standing there, so close to where he stood, but wearing only that pink silky material to cover her slender form. It even had laces on several places, making her to wish for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Her pink tresses were ruffled, which made Sasuke think of her appearance as much sexier than anything he ever saw.

The temperature in the room was rising up, making him feel scorching hot on the inside. It was as if the fire in his veins was running wild, urging him to do something in order to cool down. One thought struck him as a bolt of lightning, but because it only made all of the heat go to one particular place of his body, he had to think of something else entirely. His desperate attempts to distract himself were all in vain, since Sakura was hardly ignorable at the moment.

"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here?" the girl shrieked dreadfully in utter surprise, never realizing that she slept in and this whole thing happened because of that. Apparently, she was unable to think with a clear head, being almost naked in front of Sasuke and that small fact struck her really hard.

"It's past ten... the project." It was really hard for Sasuke to form even one full sentence when he was so pleasantly awarded with such a sight. "...your parents let me in." It was funny to see him speak with a weak voice, while making those long pauses in between words. Sakura would have laughed at that, but she was too busy by just being dazed out of her mind.

Completely embarrassed with herself she tried to cover as much as she could by pulling the silky nightie down the length of her thighs, with both of her hands.

Sasuke was left with his open mouth to stare at her chest, since her action just brought the material to slide lower and expose more skin. He might have imagined her naked at some point, not that he would ever admit that, but he never thought that the sight of her breasts would be so appealing for him. He even started to unconsciously drool, which he only noticed after he brought his hand to his lips. Thankful that it did not escalate to something that could embarrass him more he just wiped it off as unnoticeably as possible.

She looked down at herself to see what evoked this sudden reaction that come from Sasuke and in an instant she was horror struck. The stupid thing was revealing a bit too much of her cleavage, as it almost exposed her breasts fully in front of him. She hastily brought her hand to cover herself, while blushing ten different shades of red. '_It's decided! I'll burn this thing as soon as I take it off!_' She was fuming in anger, as it was noticed on her reddened face, which only managed to turn Sasuke on even more than before.

He could not help himself, when his eyes had a mind of their own, as they glided over her barely clothed body. When he took her whole appearance in, it looked as if he was copying the picture of her permanently in his memories. At that moment the onyx color of his eyes glinted with some sort of a red hue.

Sakura was burning inside out, starting to feel uncomfortable and extremely self-conscious beneath his stare. "Please, stop staring at me!" Not being the one with the advantage in a situation like this, she could not take it anymore, so she had to demand it from him in a scolding way.

"Sakura, I'm sorry... but seeing you standing there... while wearing only _that_... I really can't stop myself!" He surprised even himself with that honest statement. The words left his mouth, before he could actually stop with the talking. Nevertheless, after seeing her reaction, he was too amused to even consider cease his teasing. After all, he enjoyed to see her get flustered just because of him. He smirked in a sexy way. "You look really—" His intentional attempt to evoke at least a blush from her was interrupted by her loud warning.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" She looked at him with slightly narrowed eyebrows, mostly caused by the irritation she felt toward everything that could be the reason for this incident. Regaining her composure, she sounded much more calmed when she spoke next. "Just wait here, I'll take a quick shower and I'll come down." She turned around and left the room hurriedly.

After she was no longer present, Sasuke finally let everything that just happened soak in his mind. He realized that he was turned on like never before, as a single thought came to his mind. '_WOW! That was the sexiest thing ever!_' He slumped on the couch, taking a long intake of breath and releasing it instantly. Willing himself to think of something else, he managed to cool down a bit.

In the meantime, Sakura was literally freaking out in her room. She closed the door in such a forceful way, which was a desperate attempt to calm her nerves. "I can't believe that Sasuke-kun saw me wearing only this!" Furious at everything that happened she clenched her fists tightly at her sides. She felt like her virtue was being taken in such an embarrassing way. "Urgh.." She released a not very pleasant sound and stomped with her feet on the floor, acting like a small child that was angry at something.

The next thing she did was walk toward the mirror in her room and after noticing the disheveled state of her hair, she shrieked in dreadfulness. "Oh. My. Gosh! My hair is a mess! This is awful!" She walked toward the bathroom, feeling thankful that at least the shower can calm all of the uncomfortable feelings.

When she reappeared in the living room, this time fully dressed, she felt a bit awkward to be alone in the same place with him. She chose to avoid to look at his eyes and because she thought that if she acted as if nothing happened everything will be just fine. Therefore, she broke the silence in a very swift manner.

"I didn't have breakfast yet. Would you like to join me?" she asked in a detached way, but the tone of her voice almost gave her uneasiness away.

He stared at her for the slightest of moments, before standing up. "Sure." That single word was his only answer, before they both walked in the direction of the kitchen.

As she moved around the kitchen, entirely concentrated on preparing the breakfast and the extra amounts of coffee, Sasuke was watching her the whole time. Most honestly said, he was appreciative toward her good looks and in his opinion smoking hot body. He paid special attention at her ass, as he admired it with no shame at all.

It only took her a second and a small amount of her awareness to notice that he was checking her out. Her self-consciousness was perked up instantaneously. She scolded herself for getting nervous just because he was acting like that and especially for allowing him to have such an effect on her.

As they ate their food, Sasuke was glancing at her couple of times, as she did the same with him. However, the difference was that he was amused and smirking the whole time, while she was acting indifferent and at times scrunching up her eyebrows in irritation because of his attitude.

When they finished with their breakfast, they immediately got to work. Even though Sasuke managed to pay attention to everything that she said and gave his own opinions on certain matters, his mind was bothered by something. He could not erase the aching thoughts he had ever since he saw those magazine covers and the spread out rumor that she was dating Takeshi.

'_Should I ask her about...?_' As he looked at her for a fleeting second, immediately he decided against his stupid urge. '_No, it's too soon. She'll think I am jealous or something and I definitely am not!_' Admitting something like that would be unimaginable for any Uchiha. He willed himself to stop staring at her, because it would have been awkward if she noticed that.

"What do you think about this part?" she spoke to him and he was very fast to react, as he leaned in to get a better look at the text she pointed out. His face was really close to hers and when she turned to say her opinion on it, she almost gasped in surprise. "I think we can use it." Afterward, she unintentionally looked at his lips and for some reason she could not look away.

He felt her breath on his cheek and he could not simply ignore it. Instead of paying attention to the screen or focus on project material, he turned to look at her and noticed where her eyes were looking and had the urge to ravish her lips right at that exact second.

Her jade eyes glided upward and when they clashed with onyx colored ones, they both felt as if electricity went through their bodies. He could not stop his staring, while she was in no better position herself. His urge to kiss her was even stronger, but at the same time he remembered of the condition she set in order to accept his proposition. Not knowing what kind of a reaction that kiss could evoke from her, he willed himself to back down. He was not ready to risk the friendship he had with her, although he somehow felt like the other emotions were stronger and more important.

He turned abruptly toward the screen and tried to ignore every single feeling that consumed his heart. He never knew, but she was feeling exactly the same way, although she was really disappointed because of her inability to let him go. She was aware that her love had not perished away like she wished to.

They both could feel that the heat was building up between them. The position they were in, which was really close to one another, was making everything much more difficult.

Sakura was the first to react upon it, already finding an excuse to distance herself from him. She figured that it was much easier for her to do it, since it was her house and an idea came to her mind. She abruptly stood up, surprising him a bit, before asking with a nearly shaky tone of voice, "Would you like some water?" She realized that she could not get a better idea, because the water could cool her down considerably. '_I desperately need one._'

"That would be great," he composedly answered. He had no problem in letting his usual cool attitude out on the surface, as his facial expression was stoic. However, internally he was burning up.

While she was downstairs, her cell phone started to ring and Sasuke went to see if it was an important call; he figured that she received many of the kind being as famous as she was.

Extensive anger started to overwhelm him when he saw that the one calling her was Takeshi. He could feel the usually strong feeling burning his veins and he had the desire to break the phone into pieces. His worst suspicion came out on the surface. It was a thought that he hated, but the possibility of Sakura going out with the idiot was much more probable at that moment.

When the ringing tone stopped, he walked away to sit in his previously occupied chair and decided to not mention to Sakura that the phone was even ringing. '_Let the idiot wait!_' That wicked thought went through his mind at the same time as an evil smirk spread on his lips. He really could not stand him or his conceited attitude.

* * *

Tsunade was seated behind the long desk in her office, while working on some papers.

"Miss Senju, Takeshi Yuroichi and his manager are here!" a voice spoke through the small device on her desk.

"Let them in!" Tsunade confirmed with her strict voice. Only a day before the meeting, Takeshi's manager arranged for a meeting with Sakura's manager. It was on Tsunade's good will that their visit was accepted, since her schedule was already packed up.

When they entered her office, the woman got up to welcome her visitors. "Takeshi-san, Shiori-san, welcome!" Tsunade greeted them politely, by shaking their hands. "Please, take a seat." She motioned with her hand and they followed after her and took the seats she appointed, which were positioned right in front of her desk.

"Miss Senju, we are here to propose a deal." Shiori was very fast to announce the main reason for their abrupt visit.

"Is that right? Would that be a deal for a duet with my client?" she asked a bit amused that it was just as she guessed. She had a feeling that they would want to propose such collaboration.

"Precisely, I can see that you have a sharp eye," Takeshi spoke in a polite way that was actually very tasteful; he seemed to be quite experienced in sweet talking a woman. He wanted to be involved in the conversation as well and he knew no other way than try to suck up on Sakura's manager.

"Of course, I am positive that Sakura will be thrilled, but we still need her confirmation." Tsunade was holding onto her professional side, as she spoke in a detached manner.

"Well, we already have all of the necessary documents," Shiori added the essential information. They were all ready for signing a deal, because his client wanted to be around Sakura as much as possible and he wanted no further delays.

"Oh, so you came prepared!" Tsunade remarked.

"Not particularly. You see, we would like to sign the deal by the end of this week, so please set a date for the signing." Besides being that young, Shiori was very responsible when it came to his responsibilities as Takeshi's manager and was especially familiar with this field of management.

"The only available free time Sakura has this week is tonight, but she won't be too thrilled about it, because this was supposed to be her night for going out with her friends." Tsunade was really angry at the time they choose to propose something like this, but being as professional as she was she never let it be shown on the outside. '_Couldn't have they picked a better time?_' she thought to herself, already feeling sorry for the girl. "But, since this is really important for her career, she'll just have to accept," she said that with a heavy heart and was sick to her stomach that she'll have to ruin Sakura's night out.

"I'll give her a call to ask her if she'll agree. I wouldn't like to ruin her plans." Takeshi's statement was pure act and this was something that would never even come to his mind. He was always selfish and this was no exception, but he had a plan that needed to work out smoothly, so he had to play his role perfectly.

"She's not answering...?" he made a face in question.

"Oh, right, she said that she'll be working on a project for school with Sasuke." After the mentioning of that exact name, she did notice the sudden look of anger that flashed in Takeshi's eyes. It was quite clear to the perceptive woman that he was interested in Sakura and that he just displayed severe jealousy. However, she still did not have complete trust in him to actually allow him to make advances on Sakura. "It's okay, I'll let her know later." She motioned with her hand, showing that it was not such big of a deal. The dinner was arranged and Sakura would show up for sure, that much she was certain of.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 4: Friends II

**A/N: **The songs used for this chapter are: _"Animals"_ by _Nickelback; "Me, Myself and Time" _by _Demi Lovato_; _"I Need You Now"_ by _Agnes_.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or the songs in this chapter. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**4**__**th**__** Chapter:**_ _Friends_

_-part 2-_

"Dobe, what's with the loud music?" Sasuke asked, after seeing that his best friend was jumping all around the sound system looking exactly as if he was trying to find something.

He turned to look at Sasuke and answered in a manner that was supposed to state the obvious, "I am the host, so I have to make sure that you'll have a great time." He suddenly diverted his head in the direction of what was in his hands, which was a CD case, and smiled triumphantly.

"That's really great, but please, just change the song," Ino spoke, while flapping her hand up and down, almost in a casual but commanding way.

"Okay, okay!" He pouted cutely, before averting his full attention on the stereo to do as he was asked. However, as soon as he returned in front of the others he beamed a huge smile, while rubbing his palms in a wicked way. "So, what would you like for a drink?" he asked cheerfully; nothing could possibly put his spirits down. "Maybe we can try something stronger this time." He wiggled with his eyebrows impishly.

"Yeah, count me in!" Kiba shouted enthusiastically, giving his absolute agreement with Naruto's proposition.

Naruto smiled in satisfaction and was already headed toward the kitchen to get all the drinks they needed. He did not need specified wishes, since he already knew their favorites. Well, besides the alcohol that was not on their list of usual drinks and that is why he asked in the first place.

Tenten released a sound in absolute mockery evoked by the scene she just witnessed. "Just don't make it like last time. You two can never hold your liquor." She smiled under her breath, pinning Kiba down with a look of warning. The memory of them both puking was not something she wanted to see for a second time.

"Is that a challenge, Tenten?" he asked or more like shouted at her for acting so mighty all of a sudden. However, she was right about one thing and that was that their enthusiasm was much stronger than they could possibly stomach.

"I would never stoop so low and drink just to wound your ego," she answered casually, without batting an eyelash, which made her boyfriend smirk in amusement.

Kiba could do nothing else but huff out of irritation with her attitude. "Girls are really strange creatures," he brown-eyed boy mumbled under his breath and went after Naruto to see what was on the menu besides the alcohol. He suddenly got really hungry.

When they both returned, Naruto barely managed to walk with all of the items he carried in one tray that were blocking his view, while Kiba was caring some food. It was quite the amount he had there, knowing that there were enough people to eat it all and plus they had Chouji there.

"Hey, guys, would you like to go clubbing later?" Naruto asked, while placing the glasses with the drinks for his friends on the marbled table in the living room. He had to do everything by himself, because he gave all of the servants a free night so they could have the house for themselves. His mother and father allowed him to do whatever he liked, while they were away, as long as they found him and the house in one piece.

"Sure, that is a very youthful idea, Naruto." Lee gave his thumbs up, at which the blonde flashed a smile and did the same. They acted like such idiots sometimes.

"I would like to go. I want to find myself some girls that I can flirt with, just like last time." Sai was much more forward when it came to his own thoughts on girls, ever since he performed that small experiment at 'Midnight'. "Kiba, can you give me some more tips?" he asked with a totally blank face, erased of any emotion, although feeling quite eager to get a positive response.

"Okay, but I think that Shino can give us both tips. He left with three last time," he answered, at the same time hoping that Shino will finally say how he managed to accomplish that.

"It's a family secret. I can not possibly tell you," Shino moodily answered, without moving a single muscle.

"Damn you, Shino, you are such a party breaker!" Kiba shouted and crossed his arms as if he was mad at something or better said someone.

"I agree. It's not fair," Sai spoke, while twisting his face in attempt to nail the right face. He even tried to copy Kiba's disappointed expression.

"Naruto, do you have a place in mind?" Shikamaru asked lazily, getting bored by the minute. It could not be helped, since he was rarely in a mood for anything.

"Yeah, we can check out the new place called 'Icha Icha Paradise'. My godfather Jiraiya owns it," Naruto answered nonchalantly, while seeping some of the Vodka Tonic he prepared for himself.

"Hell yeah, I would go there anytime. I am sure we will see many hot girls there." Kiba was always in for anything that involved girls with promising assets and this time he knew for sure because they all knew Jiraiya's taste.

"Of course, when the owner is such a pervert." Naruto snickered at his own statement, recalling how the old pervert used to teach him about the feminine beauty.

"Then, I am definitely going," Sai said, flashing a fake smile.

"Idiots," Sasuke and Neji mumbled the same word at the exact same time.

The girls completely ignored the conversation, already engaged in one of their own that was much more to their like. However, the moment Naruto's cell phone started to ring, they all looked at him expectantly.

"It must be Sakura!" Ino spoke and waited for the boy to confirm by nodding his head.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" he cheerfully answered and left the room, leaving the girls to wait for him to finish the conversation. He only left out of certainty that Ino would never rest his case and that she would constantly interrupt him by saying something from the sidelines. After all, it happened before and that time he was bugged out of his mind.

"Hey, Naruto." He noted the bleakness in the way she greeted him.

"What's taking you so long?" His voice was really quiet at that point, since he started to have a bad feeling about her reasons to call him.

"Naruto, I am really sorry. I might not be able to come." He heard the sincere apology in the tone of her voice, but also the sadness that was clearly there.

"What! Why?" he simply asked, a bit shocked. Realizing that it was not her wish, he still wanted to know what was the reason.

"I have an important dinner. My manager arranged for me to sign a deal with Takeshi," she answered gloomily, not really in a mood to go.

"Oh, I understand." Besides speaking silently, his voice was full of understanding.

"Naruto, I am really sorry. Please, apologize to everybody from me." Her pleading voice had no effect on the determined Naruto, not after he got a new idea on his mind.

"No, no way! You will ditch that jerk as soon as you are done. We will be at my house 'til much later and you better be here," he pronounced the last words very slowly, wanting to make sure that she'll listen.

"Okay, I'll try to speed things up." She smiled at how easily he could convince her into anything. "Hey, what's with the 'jerk' thing?" she asked, a bit surprised. Sure, he gave nicknames to almost everybody he met, but this was somehow excessive even for him.

"Shh... it's a secret," he spoke in a hushed tone in an extremely joking way, before adding in complete seriousness, "I don't really like the jerk."

"Naruto, you're hilarious." Sakura burst out of laughing on the other side of the phone.

"Hehe... I know!" He joined her by laughing shortly, before averting to being utterly serious with his next statement. "But, seriously, I don't like him!"

"I have to admit that I am not very fond of him either," Sakura spoke truthfully.

"Sakura-chan, please do me one tiny favor!" he pleaded for real, making her curious about what has gotten into him all of a sudden.

"Shoot!" That was all she said, before he spoke what was on his mind.

"Don't ever let him in place of the teme." Naruto knew that she will understand what he meant by that.

"That is not possible. Sasuke-kun is irreplaceable." After she let that confession leave her lips a momentary silence was exchanged between the two. "Ups..." was the only noise heard after that and it came from her.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I won't say a word. It will be our little secret," he reassured her just by saying those simple words, because she was sure that she could entirely trust him.

"Thank you, Naruto." She was really thankful, especially that she slipped in front of Naruto and not someone else. He could always understand her feelings, without asking too much or accusing her as if she did something wrong. Although, she told herself every single day that it was not very beneficial for her to still love Sasuke.

"So, you still love him, huh!" It was more of a statement than a question, since he already guessed the answer.

"Do I really have to answer that?" The embarrassment she felt was noticeable by the tone she used, but she also spoke in a way that announced an obvious answer.

"Everything is going to be fine. You see, the teme is already coming to his senses. He barely stands a minute without you being around him," he was babbling energetically, feeling wholly satisfied with the recent happenings.

"Naruto, please be serious!" Sakura warned him to not joke about stuff like that, thinking that he was really joking.

"I am serious. I've seen him—" Whatever he meant to say, never left his mouth, because she interrupted him with the speed of light.

"Okay, let's stop, before I gat my hopes up." She was really desperate to erase all feeling she harbored for the Uchiha.

"Sure, sorry," Naruto apologized, while smiling sheepishly out of sheer awkwardness. It was never his intention to lift Sakura's hopes up, although he did notice how different Sasuke acted around Sakura lately.

"I'll get there as soon as I finish up," the girl said for one last time. "See you later, Naruto," she bid him goodbye in clear friendly affection.

"See ya, Sakura-chan." After hanging up, he directed himself toward the living room, where the rest of his friends were.

"Naruto, what did Sakura say?" Ino was very fast to speak up right exactly when she noticed that the blonde was already among them.

"She won't come until much later," Naruto answered as he placed his hands behind his head.

"Oh no, it's starting." Tenten could not stop her mouth from blabbering her own thoughts. She was already feeling devastated that this was just the beginning and that Sakura will miss out on most of the outings they will arrange.

"This is just awesomely great!" Ino huffed sarcastically, not pleased with Sakura's call not even in the slightest.

"We are not going anywhere without Sakura, right?" Sai asked knowingly.

"Of course that we won't be going without my cherry blossom," Lee spoke back, while at the same time feeling his cheerfulness from before going downcast severely. "I am really not in the mood for a party." He slumped in one of the arm chairs, with a sad look on his face.

"Me too! It's better when it's the whole gang," Kiba agreed with the other two.

"Naruto-kun, did she say why? Is everything okay?" Hinata could not help but worry, it was in her nature after all. Ever since that paparazzo incident she was even more frantic when Sakura was concerned.

"No, she's out on a dinner with that snobbish singer." His tone of voice indicated that he was irritated by just the sheer necessity to mention that jerk. Hinata nodded with her head in thanks and the smile on her lips made him smile too.

Sasuke was the only one in the room that did not utter a word, as he stared at the floor as if it was his worst enemy. '_So, that is why he was calling? To ask her out on a date._' When that thought went through his head, he started to feel the anger boiling in him and he did not like it all. Still never admitting that it could be jealousy that he felt, he tried to suppress the feelings that started to bother him immensely. '_I can't believe that she accepted._' He felt sick to his stomach, which was probably visibly shown on his face, because apparently Naruto noticed it all.

The blonde sat right next to his best friend and nudged him slightly to catch his attention. "Don't worry, it's not a date. They just need to sign some kind of a deal," he spoke in a hushed tone for only him to hear.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, but Naruto knew that he felt relieved by receiving that information and that it liberated him from the uneasy feeling.

Naruto then noticed the gloomy aura that spread in the living room. "Hey guys, cheer up a bit. Sakura said that she'll come much later, after she finishes with the signing of that deal." Naruto gave them the most positive smile he could master, already aware that he will brighten up the mood in the room just by saying that, especially the girls.

"Oh. My. God! Are you saying that she's signing for a duet with Takeshi Yuroichi?" Tenten was first to shout out the question out loud, as the other two girls were unable to close their mouths out of pure shock with the news.

"She did not say. You'll just have to wait and ask her when she gets here," Naruto spoke nonchalantly with his hands behind his head. The girls just squealed in unison, already excited because of the possibilities going through their minds.

"Hey, I just got an idea!" Kiba grasped the attention of every single on of his friends with his loud voice, even the girls. The girls rolled their eyes, but the guys were expecting something wicked after seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Why don't we invite them for a race?" He directed a knowing look at the guys and they immediately understood that this was their chance to get them back for their shameless attitude in the club.

Naruto snickered, the Uchiha and the Hyuga smirked, as the others were silently praising Kiba's wicked brain. They all exchanged looks in agreement and luckily it was so subtle that the girls did not catch onto it.

"What got you so worked up? Why do you even want to race them?" Ino was clearly surprised, wondering why were guys always so into challenging one another or competing over unimportant things.

"I have my own reasons," Kiba responded with dignity, as he lifted his head up high, which only served to evoke a mocking remark from Tenten.

"Oh, could it possibly be that you need a boost for your wounded ego?" She giggled as she spoke.

"Whatever." Then, he chose to completely ignore the girl by speaking to Naruto, "Naruto, call Sakura back and tell her to ask him if they would join us."

Naruto just nodded in response and reached for his cell phone.

* * *

Sakura was at her room, wrapped up in a towel, thinking about what she should put on for the night. She was not really in a mood to go out on a dinner and sign the deal, since her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of her friends. Not being able to disregard her thoughts, she was wondering if they had fun without her there. Nevertheless, desperately wanting to be there would not change anything and she was quite aware of that, so she decided to distract herself by choosing an outfit.

She walked in the vast closet that was considerably filled with expensive pieces of clothes and a great number of shoes. Looking at all of the dresses, she wanted to choose something appropriate for a dinner at a fancy restaurant. If she were to pick out the place it would not have been such a 'crème de la crème' restaurant, but it was Takeshi's invite and he had every right to choose the place. To her, it seemed kind of over exaggerated to sign a deal at such a place.

After a couple of minutes had passed and Sakura already went through every possible choice with just a fleeting look, she decided to wear a silk dress by _Roberto Cavalli_. It was a strapless dress that showed just a bit of cleavage and went a couple of inches above her knees. The whole material looked really beautiful with the different kind of flowers twisting along the whole dress. The prime color was black, but just at the top a deep purple grasped all the attention. She decided to pair it with high heeled shoes with the color of raspberry, since they matched in a very strange but edgy way with the dress.

Before putting it on, she made her hair, twisting it up in a stylish bun. Afterward, she put on just a bit of make up that served only to pronounce her beautiful features in a very alluring way. She hated to exaggerate, so she always wore lighter colors.

She paired the whole look with small earrings, made out of radiantly pink gems twisting into the shape of a flower. The clutch she picked out was embroidered with deep purple stones making it exceptionally elegant and unique.

When she stood in front of the mirror and looked at her appearance, she satisfyingly smiled a tad bit and exited the room. Her mother and father were at home, so they could not let her leave without showering her with their compliments.

"Sakura... honey, you look so beautiful." Her mother was tearing up, while smiling affectionately at her only child. She was a very emotional person, so it was quite usual for her to act like that.

"Thank you, mom." Sakura returned the smile and hugged her mother. She was always very open in expressing her feelings when with her parents. They really made her comfortable and she was always happy to hear their sweet words.

"Chiaki, come here quick and look at your daughter," the woman hollered from the hall in attempt to get the attention of her husband.

"Oh, wow!" That was his first reaction upon entering the hall where his two most precious girls stood. "It's good that you're not going out on a date, because I would have never let you leave that door," he spoke in a joking way and motioned toward the front door.

Sakura just shook her head slightly, already used to hear her father joke about stuff like that. She walked toward him and let him kiss her at the top of her head. She knew that he liked to do that, so she always granted him with that pleasure; it was sort of a habitual thing they shared.

Eiichiro was waiting outside of the house, already beside the enormous black tinted SUV. He was assigned to be her personal bodyguard, and that is why he was constantly by her side, ready to protect her. The vehicle did not look that big when he stood next to it, because of his height and very broad shoulders.

"Good evening, Miss Sakura," Eiichiro greeted her, all the while opening the door for her. "You look really beautiful tonight." He could not help but note that small fact, since there was no rule in his job description that was against it.

Sakura smiled, showing off her beautiful smile and spoke shyly, "Thank you, Eiichiro." She was not really used to be complimented in such an honest way, because most of the people were actually saying that out of wish to suck up to a star like her. Their words were more a fake flattery, than anything else.

"You're welcome, Miss," he politely spoke in return, while smiling a bit. After Sakura was already seated in the car, he shut the door and walked toward the front door to sit next to the driver, exactly where he was supposed to be.

First, they made a stop at Tsunade's apartment location, because the both of them agreed upon sharing the same ride.

When they were in front of the restaurant, Takeshi and his manager Shiori were already there, waiting for their arrival.

Right after the teen idol exited the car, Takeshi approached her and kissed her on both of her cheeks in a friendly greeting. "Sakura, you look absolutely gorgeous," he complimented her with a very appreciative tone of voice.

"Thank you. That is really sweet of you, Takeshi." Sakura just offered him with a smile in thanks.

He smiled a small smile in return. After all, he was trying to be as distant as possible, nothing similar to the way he acted in the club.

The entrance of the restaurant was absolutely magnificent, with the enormous doors and two men that stood there to open the door for any guest. Even on the outside it was a pleasurable sight, but on the inside was much better. Everything looked really expensive and well positioned. It was exceptionally noticeable that a professional architect for interiors chose every material and decorated the setting.

A hostess dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono was waiting for them. She bowed before speaking in the most polite way possible, "It is a pleasure to have you here. We prepared the best seating arrangement at the most secluded area just for you." She treated them as any other guest that walked in there, besides the fact that they were awarded with the best possible seats in the whole restaurant. "Please, let me show you to your table." She motioned for them to follow her.

The whole area was illuminated with lights that did not create a massive amount of luminosity. In the contrary, everything looked so romantic and the setting was very peaceful, adorned with warm colors. The exact place their table was positioned gave them a spectacular view toward the garden, through the vast window that was there instead of a wall.

Takeshi pulled the chair out for Sakura and treated her like a gentleman would. He was now aware of her soft nature, so he needed to do everything smoothly and not push her into anything.

Sakura was pleasantly surprised by the look of everything. "This is actually really nice," she spoke truthfully, a look of amazement on her face. It was unbelievable to her that she actually liked it here, but the setting was almost as if made for her taste.

"I am glad that you like it," Takeshi spoke to her, leaning closer to her ear, before taking a seat across from her. He looked at her with a look that he used whenever he wanted to attract a girl. It was his way of flirting, but in a very subtle way. He was already approaching his new plans in how to get her to like him.

'_He's different, but I can't really decipher why,_' Sakura contemplated, while recalling the rude advances he displayed when they first met. He made her so uncomfortable then and now his whole posture and actions were somehow showing a completely different person.

'_**Don't be stupid! I'm still not fooled by his fake act.**_' Her inner huffed, as her tone showed her true feelings concerning Takeshi, which were full with suspicion.

'_Don't be so mean, he seems nice._' It was no surprise that Sakura tried to think positively. She always was a person that wanted to believe that people were good and if they made one mistake that should not mark them for all eternity as bad or evil.

'_**Yeah, right!**_' But, the other side of her never agreed with that.

Takeshi noticed that Sakura was thinking about something and since all he wanted was her devoted attention, he decided to say something to her. "I am really sorry for everything that happened." He reached and took her hand in his, offering her with comfort but in a strictly friendly way, which was all an act. "I am extremely relieved that you are alright." He squeezed her soft hand in his much bigger one in a very gentle way, and smiled affectionately at her.

Sakura just smiled back, starting to feel much more comfortable in his presence. She wondered if her first impression on him was wrong and that she might have judged him too early. '_If this is the real Takeshi, I might actually like him,_' she thought to herself, as the smile on her face vividly grew.

That small gesture on her side made Takeshi much more confident with himself and especially with his new approach. '_She'll be eating out of my hand in no time._' He was internally gloating at that thought.

When they were all seated, a different hostess showed up and offered them with the menu of the house.

After they made their orders, Tsunade was the first to open up the subject on the real reason for the dinner. "Well, I believe that we should get to business." Her tone of voice was no different from the one she used when in the office or when talking about serious matters. "I already read the contract and all of the terms are agreeable," she added nonchalantly, all the while eyeing Shiori with much seriousness expressed in her honey colored eyes.

"So, we just need to make it official by signing it," he just concluded casually in return of what she said.

"Yes, but there is only one thing that I need to know before we seal the deal," she interrupted, while Sakura and Takeshi were just observing, since the signing of the deal and all terms in it were not their field of knowledge.

"Anything, Ms Senju." Shiori urged her to continue.

"Who will write the song? I think that that should be discussed between the two of you." Tsunade motioned with her hand toward the two teen idols, completely curious as to what will they decide. "I am well aware that Sakura is an excellent song writer, but Takeshi is also." She was also wondering if they would try to be co-writers of the song.

"I want you to write the song. You have an incredible talent, Sakura." Takeshi did not wait a second to say that, which was already planned out in advance that he will ask her to write it. In the process of speaking to her, he smiled approvingly, showing the admiration he had for her. "I know that you'll write the perfect song for _us,_" he spoke as if there was a different meaning behind that statement, but it was hardly noticeable.

"I really don't know what to say. I will try, but you have to promise that you'll help me if I experience some difficulties. After all this will be my first song for a duet," Sakura spoke in all honesty, feeling a bit insecure with herself. She always wanted to do everything perfectly, at least as much as it will satisfy her expectations. However, she was looking forward to writing it.

"Of course. It will be my pleasure to assist you. After all, we will sing it together." As he spoke, his eyes were constantly staring at her green pools. It was the first time he noticed that she had such amazing eyes and at that moment he became even more entranced by her.

"Thank you," she answered back, but looked downward because his stare was making her quite uncomfortable. "By the way, singing with you sounds really nice. I can't believe that we will actually do this." She smiled in the process of saying that truthful statement.

"Sakura, I want to be honest with you." He reached for her hand yet again, feeling the sudden need to touch her. "The fact that you agreed on this, really makes me happy." Strange feeling consumed him right then and there, as if she had some kind of power over him.

"I gladly accepted, Takeshi. I am happy, too." Her eyes also expressed the same feelings, that she truly was satisfied with the proposal.

In the process of their exchange of words, Tsunade was watching with clear concentration. She had a strangely unsettling feeling at the pit of her stomach whenever she would look at Takeshi or hear him speak, but decided that now it was not the moment for negative thoughts. When they both stopped talking, she eagerly spoke aloud of what suddenly came on her mind, "Okay, it is time to celebrate. I suggest some sake."

* * *

It was Monday morning and Sasuke decided to do something before going to school. He planned this ever since he saw Sakura's distress over the incident with the paparazzo.

He walked toward the kitchen, being well aware that the person he needed for a situation like this was already there. When he passed the entrance, he took no time in starting up the conversation. "Itachi, I need to talk to you," he most seriously addressed his own brother, who was seated on one of the stools and reading a magazine.

"What about?" the other Uchiha answered with a detached question, never averting his eyes from the magazine. Besides looking completely uninterested on the outside, he was really curious and was focused on Sasuke more than he was on the text in front of him.

"It's really important!" Sasuke turned up the volume of his voice intentionally, wanting to catch the attention from his brother. Usually, he would never do this, unless it was something of grave importance, exactly as it was now.

"Oh, then I should pay extra attention." He knew that Sasuke was never this straight forward unless it was really important. He never liked to unnerve his young brother with his attitude in a situation when he was this serious. Then, he looked at Sasuke and slid the piece of folded papers away from him.

"Don't act like an idiot, just listen up," Sasuke shot back harshly, before continuing to speak about his reason for issuing this talk with his brother. "I am sure you've already heard about Sakura." Itachi nodded, urging him to continue. "Well, I want you to use your friends and find that psycho," he finished with his demands, but extreme hate and anger could be distinguished in his dark eyes.

"Now I see that you actually listened to my advice. Are you already back together or that's just your wish?" Itachi enjoyed himself for two simple reasons... one being the fact that Sasuke was worried for Sakura and was not trying to hide his feelings and the second was that he could tease him to no end with this new information.

"Neither!" Sasuke was irritated as it usually happened, as he seethed angrily at his brother's unnecessary question. "Now focus on what I am saying to you. I want you to find a way and beat him until he begs for mercy." He pinned Itachi down with a fierce look that spoke of how serious he was by asking that.

"Well, why didn't you say in the first place that that was what you wanted?" This time, Itachi was serious and his cool attitude unwavering. "Of course I'll do it. Anyone who messes with my little sister deserves to pay." Something undistinguishable glinted in his dark eyes as he said that.

It was the first time that Sasuke was not bothered by the way Itachi called Sakura. "Hn," he grunted in his trademark way and smirked. Afterward, he stood up and walked toward the exit, but stopped abruptly. "And, try to add a few good punches for me," he spoke that last statement in a very wicked way, already imagining the bloody face of the leech. That is what he deserved and there was nothing bad in thinking about it.

"Consider it done, little brother." He smirked, and Sasuke returned the same gesture, before exiting the room. "Deidara will be thrilled," he spoke to himself in a hushed tone.

* * *

"Guys, the race track is free this Friday!" Kiba was very keen to speak out, after they were all gathered up on their usual table at lunch break. He barely kept his mouth shut, wanting to speak ever since he got the news, but he knew that it would be best if he told them when they were all together. His father owned the race track, so he was the one that arranged every single one of their races.

"That's great, Kiba! I can't wait!" Naruto shouted, already overjoyed just by hearing the anxiously awaited confirmation for their plans.

"It's gonna be awesome!" Lee spoke with his usual competitive encouragement. He was extremely upbeat this time, because he was going to participate for the first time. Before, he was seating on the sidelines, watching the other race.

"Tenten, will you bring your bike?" Shino wanted to know how many opponents he would have on the track, since Tenten was the third person in their group with a bike.

"Hell yeah, I am," the brown eyed girl answered with fire blazing in her eyes, because she always looked forward to showing off her talent and never felt like it would ruin her image in front of people; not many girls were crazy for such a guy-ish thing, but she was never insecure about her appearance. She always expressed her enthusiasm, in driving the beast on two wheels, quite openly.

"Great," he said broodingly, but was actually very excited with the answer he received. They were all famous for the races they organized throughout the school year and so many of the other students loved to come and watch them burn the asphalt with those amazing rides.

"I feel like I'm gonna kick some major ass!" Naruto shouted excitedly, showing off that blinding smile of his.

"For once, I agree with the idiot," Neji stoically said, conscious of Naruto's intention with that statement. He was looking forward to get his revenge on the guy that had the nerve to advance on his cousin and his girlfriend at the same time.

Naruto just pouted after being called an 'idiot', because he did not like to start a fight with Hinata's cousin. He liked her too much and he could not bring himself to offend her in any way.

"Neji, you don't have to be so mean," Hinata scolded her relative with no second thought that she might receive the shorter end of it; she was only the second girl that could actually do that, the other one being Tenten of course.

Naruto smiled broadly, after seeing that she actually defended him in front of her cousin nonetheless. For some guys that would be like a bullet for his ego, but for the blonde was a really promising gesture, one that spoke of her affection toward him.

Surprisingly, the uninvited girl that was sitting on their table was fully listening the conversation that went on between the group. She decided that finally it was the perfect opportunity to start her new devised plan that she liked to call 'crush Sakura Haruno in more ways than one'.

"Hey, pinky!" The piercingly annoying tone in Karin's voice, intentionally asked for Sakura's attention. "I heard that you write all of your songs, so I was wondering what inspired you to write them?" she asked with mocking gleam and a mean look in her red eyes.

"Even if I told you, I am sure you won't be too pleased with the answer," Sakura shot back in a much dignifying tone of voice, pinning the redhead down. She literally shoved Karin's rude display of nosiness down her throat by giving her that straight forward look.

The pink haired girl directed a momentary look at Sasuke, but the bad thing was that Karin noticed it. It was all she needed to get the answer she wanted, and a cruel glint sparked her scarlet eyes. When the corners of her mouth turned upward, it did not look nice at all, but evil above all else, as if she had a wicked thought going through her head.

* * *

The group of friends were already gathered up at their usual race track, waiting for the two targets for the night to arrive. They were planning this for a whole week already, wanting to get even with the shameless bastards for advancing on their girls right in front of their eyes. Naruto was especially marking Shiori as his opponent, just as Neji did the same. Both of them were unable to forget about the redhead and the way he disrespectfully treated Hinata and Tenten in the club.

As they waited, Kiba was bragging about his other ride and that he will win against Naruto after he promised to do so a while ago. He used a different car when he raced, since the Hummer was not built for speed.

"Your 'Camaro SS' might look like a beast, but it has no chance against my Lamborghini!" Naruto was shouting at Kiba feeling very sure with himself and his car. They were having a verbal fight as per usual.

"Oh, don't feel so cocky, Naruto!" Kiba shot back, showing off his canines as he smirked in arrogance.

"Why won't you just shut up? There are other opponents that you'll have to beat before you even consider to fulfill any of those arrogant promises." Tenten decided to shut them up, already tired of their bickering, while being casually propped up on her bike. She was the only one among the girls that participated in the races.

Realizing that she was right, the both fired up boys stopped in an instant and just waited in silence as the rest of the group did.

When they saw two cars approaching the guys shared the same knowing look and smirked in triumph. Their plan was working out and all they needed to do was win in two races and proclaim Takeshi and Shiori as losers.

They greeted them not too enthusiastically, all the while Kiba not willing to waste any additional time.

"Okay, I will give you the rules, so listen up," Kiba spoke feeling almost as if in charge over the whole race. He always gave himself a role that could boost up his ego considerably, since that was part of his nature, which never bothered any of his friends, especially in a situation as this one.

"We're listening." Shiori was the one to give his agreement, while his best friend was too busy assessing his so called opponents. He felt a bit too confident in himself, already smiling internally at his victory.

"You will race two of us, which will be decided by a draw who will race who. Then, it's one lap and the first one who passes the finish line is the winner. If you win one race and we win one, there will be a final race off that will decide the winner group. Again, the racers will be chosen by a draw. Are we understood?" Kiba finished by directing a serious look at the two that stood in front of him. The whole time as he spoke, the ones that stood behind him were staring at Takeshi and Shiori with fire burning in their eyes, especially Sasuke who glared like never before in his life.

"Yes. Shiori goes first, I will go second. Make the draw," Takeshi spoke, while shooting a not to pleasant look at the boys that were challenging him with their own glares.

Kiba nodded, while Hinata placed six sticks in her right hand, one for each that drove a car, because bikes were not included in this race. Naruto was the first to go, as he was the one that drew the longest stick of the lot.

"Alright! I will definitely win. Believe it!" the loud mouth shouted, while raising his fist in the air, showing off his high spirits.

The second time Hinata held five sticks for the rest of the boys to make the draw, which was decided upon Sasuke to be the second and go against Takeshi.

The raven-haired teenager smirked, as he already started to feel rush through his veins. He could not wait to bring the idiot down to where his place was.

"Hinata-chan! Do you wanna ride with me?" Naruto asked the girl with a huge smile on his face, as she accepted right away.

"Sure, Naruto-kun!" As she spoke that by turning up the volume of her sweet voice, she ran toward him. He walked beside her and opened the door for her as he always did. She just smiled a soft smile at him in return of his gesture.

"Nice car!" Naruto addressed his opponent, while eying his 'Jaguar XKR'. "But, it's not good enough to beat _me_!" he pronounced the last word significantly, showing that it was the rider that was important and not the ride. Right after, he just smiled wickedly.

"We will see!" the redhead shot back, feeling much more arrogant than it was characteristic for him. It was not a surprise, since he always tried to be a ladies man and he could not allow himself to be brought down in front of one.

Before the blonde teenager entered the green Lamborghini, Neji nodded in his direction, subtly telling him to not lose by any circumstance. After all, their dignity was on the line, which was exceptionally important for the Hyuga.

Naruto was surprised that he won the race with not effort at all. It seemed to him that even as Shiori tried to pass him, he could not find an easy way to do it. Naruto really gave him difficulties, wanting to play with him a bit, just as he wanted to play with the feelings of his friends and the girl he loved.

"Naruto-kun, that was awesome," Hinata spoke from beside the blonde, feeling happy for him. She was a tiny bit flustered because of the thrilling race and his aggressive way of driving. However, she admitted to herself that it was a really enjoyable moment.

"I am glad you liked it, Hinata-chan." He blushed a bit, after saying that almost too silently for her to hear. Whenever Hinata would give him a compliment, no matter if it was deserved or not, he would start to feel a bit self-conscious.

"Way to go, Naruto!" Kiba was the first to shout from outside the car, which was closely joined by Lee's youthful comments.

While sharing high-fives with the rest of his friends, Neji gave his words of appreciation in his usual stoic way, "Well done, Uzumaki."

"Dobe, great race." Sasuke smirked in approval at his best friend, while Naruto beamed a huge smile. He always felt awesome whenever acknowledged by him, who he considered to be his greatest rival besides mainly being his best friend.

Next, it was time for Sasuke to face off Takeshi on the asphalt, but first the idiot managed to make him angry by approaching Sakura.

"Sakura, would you like to ride with me?" Takeshi asked the girl that grasped all of his attention for the whole time ever since he got there. He was really looking forward to leaving his best impression on her.

"No, Sakura will be riding with me!" Sasuke sprout out harshly at the ignorant bastard, as well as bringing Sakura close to his body by placing an arm around her shoulder. "It has always been like that," he added coolly, while managing to direct a cold-hearted death glare at Takeshi's direction without Sakura noticing it.

"I wasn't talking to you, so why don't you just back off!" Takeshi was playing the tough guy, not used to being opposed by anyone in his life. People that praised him and placed him on a pedestal always surrounded him, but Sasuke was definitely not one of those people. It was Takeshi's biggest mistake to approach Sasuke the way he did.

In a fleeting movement, the raven-haired boy was already in front of him with an intensified fiery look in his dark eyes. He towered over him and it seemed as if a flash of red shined his pools for a short moment. "What did you say!" As he literally growled through clenched teeth, he was trying his best not to release his anger on the idiot that dared to confront him. His fisted palms were already urging him to clear the nose of the ignorant bastard, but he knew better than to do something like that in front of Sakura.

Takeshi did not know why, but suddenly he started to feel unpleasant in the proximity of the angry teenager. He even felt drops of sweat on his forehead, but he never even considered covering down like a chicken. Just as he was about to spat back a nasty comeback, Sakura decided to interfere.

"Leave it at rest, Takeshi! What he said is true." Sakura gave him a look of warning to stop challenging the Uchiha, because she knew how bad things might end if Sasuke got really angry. "I am really sorry, but it's something between me and Sasuke-kun." She gave him an apologetic look, before following after Sasuke, who just took her hand in his and lead her toward his car.

"Hn." Sasuke could not leave without his trademark grunt, feeling satisfied with himself. One single thought went through his mind, as he scrunched up hi face in utter annoyance. '_Did she really have to apologize to him._' But, than a more rewarding one made his mood brighten up. '_At least, I got my proof that she's not going out with him._' Smirking in satisfaction, he cast a single look at his pink-haired partner.

At the same time, Takeshi was fuming in anger, for two different reasons. One was Sasuke's silently proposed challenge to make this race personal, and the other was Sakura's added suffix to the Uchiha's name. That one was especially a heavy blow for him and his so called pride.

Before the Uchiha could enter his car, he wanted to see what he was going against, as he directed a short glance on his left. '_Hn. Even his taste for cars is awful,_' he thought that the instant he noted that Takeshi was driving a 'Maserati GranTurismo S'.

Before Takeshi and Sasuke could enter the racing machines, Ino stopped them to say her line; it was necessary after all. "The same rules apply. I'll give you five minutes to get ready," she addressed the both of them, before they positioned themselves at the starting point.

While Sakura and Sasuke were seated in his black Ferrari, waiting for Ino to drop the white scarf on the ground to announce the start, a song started to play in the background. Sasuke immediately recognized the words that reminded him of the same thing every single time he heard the same song. However, the difference this time was that the person he shared that memory with was seating right next to him and ironically enough in _his_ car nonetheless.

_I, I'm driving black on black_  
_Just got my license back_  
_I got this feeling in my veins this train is coming off the track_  
_I'll ask polite if the devil needs a ride_  
_Because the angel on my right ain't hanging out with me tonight_  
_I'm driving past your house while you were sneaking out_  
_I got the car door opened up so you can jump in on the run_  
_Your mom don't know that you were missing_  
_She'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing_  
_Screamin'_

Coincidentally or not, the same memory flashed through her head at the exact same time.

**::Flashback::**

Sasuke was waiting near Sakura's house, while she was trying to sneak out just to see him. It was really late and she felt relieved that only her mother was at home or she would not have been able to slip out unnoticed.

When she entered Sasuke's car, his reaction was instant as he brought her closer for a kiss. He kissed her with much more passion than before, almost hungrily, which blazed huge excitement in her and she wasn't able to control herself anymore. She gripped the back of his head and brought him closer, in utter need to experience something more thrilling. For the first time, ever since they started going out, Sakura wanted to take the lead and initiate every single interaction between them.

He allowed it, just because he wanted to see how much she was willing to do and where would she lead them.

Her first initiation was to deepen their kiss, but when she did that and realized that she had never ever kissed Sasuke the same way before, her cheeks started to flush as her body was heating up noticeably. She could feel everything... his lips on hers, his body heat projecting onto her, his hands touching her skin and finally his wet tongue on her lower lip. The feelings he evoked from her were amazing and gave her the courage to yank his hair and lean toward him, because she started to like being in control.

_No, we're never gonna quit_  
_Ain't nothing wrong with it_  
_Just acting like we're animals_  
_No, no matter where we go_  
_'Cause everybody knows_  
_We're just a couple of animals_

Sasuke got turned on and he felt it, as it significantly left traces of strong impression on him. That was all he allowed her to do, because he could not control his urges any more. It was finally time for him to take over the control.

_So come on baby, get in_  
_Get in, just get in_  
_Check out the trouble we're in_

He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, being well aware that this was the first French kiss they shared. The way he moved his tongue inside of her mouth, exploring every inch of it and not hesitating on reaching deeper, was heavenly for her. They enjoyed the moment to the maximum. As a last action, he choose to suck on her bottom lip and released it by gliding it in between his teeth.

After their heated session was over, Sasuke held her face close to his, while inhaling deeply. He wanted to preserve the moment and let her sweet smell of cherries drown his senses to the fullest.

While regaining their breaths, a whole minute passed and he still had his hands over the smooth skin on her cheeks. He smiled slightly, which was barely noticeable and spoke in a deep hushed tone, "You smell like cherries, Sa-ku-ra." The ultra sexy way of pronouncing her name, made the girl nervous as the sudden heat that rushed through her body reddened her cheeks considerably.

She giggled nervously, before backing away a bit in order to stop herself from hyperventilating. Not being used to witness this sort of behaviour from him, was getting the best of her. She straightened herself in her seat, thinking on what she could possibly do to reverse the tables. Slowly turning her head sideways, she gave him a very provocative look, as a wicked smirk was spreading on her lips.

"So, where are we going this time?" Sakura was intentionally teasing him, wanting to stir some sort of a nervous reaction from the Uchiha. But, the only thing she received was a very predatory look in his dark eyes, as she supposed was because of her provocation.

"I don't know..." He smirked back and looked at her through clouded eyes, which evoked that tingly feeling to spread inside her tummy. "...somewhere!" he added coolly, adding a suggestive edge to the tone of voice he used, as the engine roared to life.

She stared at him, completely captivated by the sight of him. She stared for a moment, but was unable to stop herself from diving into a very bold move. It was all because of the stirred excitement that was still holding control of every single though that crossed her mind. She was aware that it was the first time that she felt like this, but she also admitted to herself that she wanted him... everything about him.

In a short flash, she was leaning toward him and just as she placed her small hand on his leg, she kissed him softly on the cheek. She never stopped, even after she sensed the surprised reaction that came from him. His lean neck was the target of her soft lips. Her gentle and teasing kisses were making him burn with heat, but when she moved her hand up his leg and almost touched his manly possession, he froze in place. He was gripping the steering wheel with his clenched fists, trying his best to focus on the road and not Sakura's pleasant actions.

_You're beside me on the seat_  
_Got your hand between my knees_  
_And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze_  
_It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear_  
_But I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears_

She was leaving a trail of butterfly kisses on the skin of his neck, on every possible spot she could reach, before she neared his earlobe. At first, she just kissed it in a provoking way, but then she just glided her wet tongue over it. The moment she blew hot air on it, he felt something burning toward his lower region. From that moment on, it was really hard for him to concentrate on the driving. She was really driving him insane with that lip action, especially after she started to tease him with her tongue.

"Sakura, you better stop with that!" he spoke through clenched teeth, which was all done in desperation of the moment. He really didn't want to lose control and drive off out of the road, presumably in somebody's lawn.

_By now, no doubt that we were heading south_  
_I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth_  
_'Cause this was it, like flicking on a switch_  
_It felt so good I almost drove into the ditch_  
_I'm screamin'_

Her only response was a light giggle, but she never stopped with her heated teasing and continued to nip his earlobe.

"Just stop, or I'll..." This time he commanded in a very breathy way, almost loosing his mind.

"Or... what? You're gonna do, what?" She was intentionally teasing him, entirely loosing herself in the heat of the moment. It was no surprise that she was burning up just like he was. At that point, she was leaving short kisses all over the skin on his neck, while at some places grazing it with her teeth a bit.

_So come on baby, get in_  
_Get in, just get in_  
_Look at the trouble we're in_

Sasuke really couldn't take it anymore, wanting to be in command of the whole situation. He stepped on the break with so much force that the tires screeched loudly, making an echo among the houses.

The next second, he was already looking at her with an intense gaze, his eyes expressing something powerful. Sakura was shocked to say the least, as she stared at him with a slightly open mouth. But, her appearance was still very flushed, which was all that he needed to get even more energized.

He held her safely by her thin waist, lifted her up gently and she was seated in his lap the very next second. Sakura never knew that he could be that much in control.

The next thing he did was really something. He brought his hands on her thighs, gripping them with much force and positioned her legs on both sides of his body. He left his hands to linger there for a moment, but when just about to give her a hot kiss, he glided them toward her ass. Grabbing that soft part of her body, he brought her closer until she was pressed against him tightly.

From that moment on, every movement of their hands was a bold action that was lead by the strong feelings that gave them inspiration. He was ascending upward, reaching under the silky material of her shirt, stroking the bare skin of her back. At the same time she worked herself on unbuttoning his black shirt. Then, she took no time in placing her small hands over his toned chest, completely going off to a dreamland. She wasn't even aware of what she did anymore.

Sakura felt like on fire. Everything that happened from then on was hot and rushed. While his shirt was left open, Sakura was pressed against him with only her lacy bra left to cover her upper body. He never dared to reach upward or touch her breasts with his hands, besides feeling the urge to do it after seeing her almost naked in front of his eyes.

When he felt her hands very close to his almost hardened manhood, as she started to unzip his pants, he just could not believe that something like this was happening. He started to wonder where would this lead them and that it was not really a good idea to do it in the car.

However, the small fact Sasuke did not notice and was even worse than that, was that they were in the middle of the street and not too far away from her house. But, when they heard the soft tap on the window of the car, they both froze right at that second.

_We were parked out by the tracks_  
_We're sitting in the back_  
_And we just started getting busy_  
_When she whispered "what was that?"_  
_The wind, I think 'cause no one else knows where we are_  
_And that was when she started screamin'_  
_"That's my dad outside the car!"_  
_Oh please, the keys, they're not in the ignition_  
_Must have wound up on the floor while_  
_we were switching our positions_  
_I guess they knew that she was missing_  
_As I tried to tell her dad it was her mouth that I was kissing_  
_Screamin'_

Luckily the windows were tinted black and whoever was outside could not see a single thing, but they saw the man and recognized him in an instant. Sakura was shocked and rendered speechless, while Sasuke was scared for the first time in his life.

"Oh. My. God. It's my dad," she barely whispered, unable to find her voice. Afterward she was very fast to react and remove herself from Sasuke's lap. She did not care that she was awkwardly positioned in the passenger seat, because all she could think of was that they had to get out of there and fast.

Sasuke tried to start the car, but in the process he dropped the car keys on the ground. They both started to panic, while the man from outside tapped on the window a second time and spoke, "Hey, could you please move the car? It's in the middle of the street." When he finished speaking, Sasuke finally felt the metal of the keys with his fingers. He lifted them up, started the car and stepped on the gas pedal.

A minute or so after they left the man to gape at them from behind, Sasuke asked almost breathless, but mostly annoyed, "What the hell was he doing there?" He could no longer feel any of the pleasant feelings Sakura stirred from him, because all he could feel was the fast beating of his heart. After all, it wasn't an everyday possibility that he could get caught making out with Sakura by her father of all people.

"How in the hell should I know?" Sakura shouted back, finally managing to find her shirt on the floor right next to her feet. She felt embarrassed by everything that happened and the worst was that she was still without a shirt on.

When she put it on, they looked at each other, as the things going through their minds were exchanged by a single look. They could not suppress the urge to laugh about the whole situation and they both started laughing. Sakura was thinking about what would have happened if her father saw her there, making out with a boy in his car, and not just simple kissing, because she was all over him. Sasuke was thinking about the same thing, but mostly annoyed that they were interrupted. He could not stop himself from thinking about all of the possible scenarios that could have evolved from the heated action.

**::End of Flashback::**

_So come on baby, get in_  
_We're just a couple of animals_  
_Get in, just get in_  
_Ain't nothing wrong with it_  
_Check out the trouble we're in_  
_Get in, just get in_

Sakura noticed that Sasuke was staring at her for a very long moment with that arrogant sexy smirk on his face and she couldn't take it anymore, so she asked him severely, "Why are you staring at me?"

"No particular reason..." Sasuke stopped for a second, deciding that he should say it out loud just to see what her reaction would be. "...it's just that this song reminds me of that time when your dad almost caught us—" His amusement with his own statement was over in an instant when the girl, that was seating right next to him, snapped harshly at him.

"Don't even remind me and don't you dare say another word!" Sakura spoke fierily in utmost irritation as she held her finger in front of his face in attempt to warn him to carefully choose his next words.

"Why?" He was really surprised by her outburst, because it was rare to see her this worked up over something. The particularly enjoyable part for him, whenever he saw her act like this, was that he could always expect to see the sweet pinkish shade on her cheeks.

She tried to hide her face, before even speaking her reason out loud, in front of him no less. "Because it's embarrassing! That's why!" The blush dusted the smooth skin on her cheeks, because she felt too ashamed to even think about it.

He thought that she looked quite adorable when embarrassed over something. It was one of the many things that he loved about her. "Well, don't be! I am glad that this song exists, because I will always have something that will remind me of that." Then, he looked at her profoundly for a short moment, before starting the car.

Sakura was absolutely thrown off by what he just said, all the while letting out a gasp and staring at him with her mouth open. Disbelief was plastered on her beautiful face. She couldn't grasp the fact that Sasuke actually remembered that moment so vividly as to actually be able to compare it with a song.

Ino was already positioned in between the two cars, and Sasuke was ready and waiting for her to release the scarf.

"Are you ready?" he asked Sakura, with a wicked smirk spreading on his face.

"Just step on it!" she shouted at him, encouraging him just as she always did ever since she shared a ride with him on the race track.

Ino released the white material, giving the sign the both drivers waited for.

Sasuke chuckled lowly and stepped on the gas pedal, making the car accelerate with such speed that they were both glued to their seats in an instant. The smile on Sakura's face grew, as she already started to feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Sasuke's way of driving always made her feel incredibly awesome, because he was never afraid to do unexpected things that just made the whole ride even more thrilling.

Sasuke definitely had a head start, but Takeshi was not giving up either. He really knew how to be an annoyance for the raven-haired teenager, as he followed right behind him. He tried to pass the black Ferrari, as on points Sasuke had to defend his position and avoid a collision at the same time. Every single time he tried to do it by nearing the right side of Sasuke's car.

"Sasuke-kun, watch out, he's on your left! I think he plans to get past you on the next curve." Sakura was quite well experienced in the observation and she always offered to help Sasuke by warning him if she noticed something before he could.

Sasuke looked at the side mirror to see what were the chances for the idiot to gain the better position in the race and already smirked in triumph. The next second the red Maserati was right next to him and as the curve was opening for the both of them, Takeshi attempted to pass him by getting closer to the edge of the road. But, Sasuke hit the break gently and drifted on the outer side of the curve, almost as if he owned the road. The tires screeched, but he never allowed himself to lose the winning position.

When they passed the curve and Takeshi was still behind him, he spoke to Sakura, "Thanks, Sakura. That was a close one." He wanted to give her a well deserved credit for giving him the warning. They were already too used to each other when in a situation as this one.

The rest of the race, Sasuke made all of Takeshi's attempts to utterly fail, as he drove through the curves as if he was the king on the road. It was hardly possible for anyone to beat the Uchiha at anything. Naruto was his only rival that could get that specially reserved spot and win against him, which only happened on rare occasions.

When they neared where the group of people waited for their finish, Sasuke pulled to a stop presenting a loud screech on the asphalt. Then, he drifted in a circle only for show, which made Sakura giggle out of excitement. She always loved when he did that.

"Sasuke-kun, we won!" Sakura screeched delightfully, already celebrating internally. She would always cheer him on, no matter what, since he choose _her_ to always be next to him whenever he raced on the tracks.

"Hn," he grunted tranquilly, looking as if he did not care much about the outcome or as if already knew that he will win. If Sakura did not know him so well, she would have been fooled by his appearance.

"You really are a great driver." She leaned in and surprised him by pecking his cheek gently. She did that not just because it was the tradition for her to kiss him if he won the race, but mostly because she really felt like it. After that, they both exited the car.

"Teme, way to go!" Naruto shouted from the distance, already running toward his best friend. "That was an awesome ride!" When the hyperactive blonde reached the pretty much smug looking Uchiha, he bumped fists with him just to give him a friendly appreciation.

"Hn," Sasuke just grunted and returned a smile at Sakura who spread a beautiful smile only for him. Her eyes never left him ever since they left the car, which made a strange but peasant feeling envelop his heart.

All the others followed after Naruto and cheered for the race Sasuke won for them, all the while Takeshi being completely ignored by everybody.

The whole group of friends stayed for almost the whole night at the race tracks, mainly there to have fun. Some of them were having race offs, since this was something they waited for ever since they challenged one another. The guys were particularly in a mood after fulfilling their plans and getting what they wanted in the first place. Takeshi and Shiori were not too enthusiastic to stay there and left much earlier than planned.

* * *

The group of friends was gathered up at Shikamaru's house for a private party; it was his birthday after all. They always arranged one of these every week, always at a different place, but this time it had to be at his place.

"I can't believe that she couldn't come again this week." Ino felt awful already and could not find any possible way to entertain herself when Sakura was missing out again. It happened so many times these past two weeks that she could not take it any more. She missed her best friend and it started to bother her.

"Yeah, I feel like I haven't talk to her in ages," Tenten agreed, feeling the same way. It was as if they were experiencing the same thing from the summer break; whenever they decided to gather like this, Sakura was nowhere in sight.

"Don't be so whiny! You see her at school every day." Kiba tried to cheer them up, the only way he knew how.

"Kiba, school doesn't count!" Hinata surprised everybody by shouting at the boy. Apparently, she was as affected by this as the other girls. She felt like an important piece of their group was missing.

"I miss my cherry blossom, too." Lee was close to tears, at least that is what his expression was saying. He got too emotional sometimes, and as for usual he wasn't ashamed to show it out on the open, which was totally different from what the other guys usually did.

Still, his confession evoked a reaction from the Uchiha, who glared at him with fire in his eyes. That strong emotion was right there on his face. He could not manage to accept Lee's ways of giving Sakura sweet names and constantly speak as if she was _his_.

"Hey, but you have to understand, her big concert is just a couple of days away," Shikamaru observed lazily. He always understood her reasons, especially after hearing her voice on the phone that requested for his forgiveness. He could not bring himself to allow her to feel that way just because she had a rehearsal for the concert that was out of her control. Sakura already called and wished him a happy birthday, apologising that she couldn't come and it was then that he reassured her that she shouldn't bother her mind with such a thing . Even the present she sent was already opened up and lied on the table along with the others he received that night.

"Shika-kun, of course we understand that, but we can't help but miss her," Ino spoke for the other girls as well, while they just nodded in agreement with her statement.

"I miss her too, but aren't you excited to finally watch her perform on stage, live," Naruto stated curiously looking at the others, before flashing a blinding smile. "I certainly am!" He shot a fist up in the air, showing off his happiness.

"You are right, she'll be awesome!" Tenten shouted wholeheartedly, feeling the same excitement as the blonde boy. Every single one of the occupants in the room smiled right after that, mostly in agreement with them both.

Sasuke felt a warm feeling envelop him, starting from his chest. He wondered if it was out of anxiousness to see her sing the songs live. Remembering all of the times she sang only for him, while they were going out, was making him pleasantly nervous. Her voice always brought tingles through his whole body, making him feel more than he would ever let on. He started to wonder if she'll leave the same effect on him, even though she will be so far away from him and with so many people there.

'_I guess, I'll just have to wait and see._' His lips turned slightly upward at that thought, mostly out of eagerness to experience those feelings once again.

* * *

It was early morning on September the twenty-third when Shikamaru prepared a special surprise for his girlfriend. Maybe it was unusual for him to be up at such early hours, but there was a reason for his actions. This particular day was the most special for Ino Yamanaka, since it was her birthday and she turned eighteen years old.

She was still soundly sleeping in her enormous princess bed, when Shikamaru opened the door of the even more spacious room. He didn't look surprised by the amount of pink that filled his vision, because this wasn't the first time he saw Ino's private space. Especially for the last two weeks he spent a lot of time in that room, sharing unforgettable moments with his girl. He smiled a small affectionate smile when he noticed that she was still asleep and walked toward her bed all the while carrying something in his hands.

He tried as best as he could to place the tray, that was filled with food, on the nightstand and not make any noise in the process. Then, he turned to look at the small bundle under the covers. The only thing that took all of his attention in an instant was her blond hair that was sprawled over the pillows. His smile grew at the sight of her, as he absorbed her beauty that took his breath away every single time he looked at her.

He reached with his hand to touch her face in attempt to wake her up. After all, he was there to give her the surprise he wanted and planned for a whole week already.

"Wake up, sleepy head," he spoke quietly as well as removing a few blond strands away from her face. She moaned slightly, which made him chuckle lowly. He decided to try a different approach in wakening her up, so he leaned and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. At the exact moment she felt the gentle touch upon her lips, her eyes fluttered open. She recognized that it was him and immediately reacted by placing a hand on his neck to bring him closer. They shared a short kiss and separated with a smile on their faces.

She gave him a very soft look, while never ceasing to smile that brightening smile she did just for him. Until she realized something and her eyes widened in surprise, before asking the question that went through her mind in that second. "Shika-kun, what are you doing here?"

"What's with the late reaction? I was surprised that the first thing you did was return my kiss," he teased her, wishing to prolong the moment and surprise her the best way he could. It was his first time to wish her a happy birthday early in the morning by waking her up, so he wanted to make it right.

"Well, I thought that it was another dream, until I realized that it felt a bit too real," she answered without even realising what she said. Normally, she would never declare such a thing in front of the guy she was in love with, out of sheer embarrassment.

"Oh, so you dream about me," he observed with one eyebrow raised in utmost amazement evoked by the innocent confession she just worded out.

"...sometimes," she shyly spoke, while averting her head to avoid his stare. She felt the blush creeping up her cheeks, as she was unable to contain it.

Shikamaru noticed her unusual shyness, because it was rare for her to display such a behaviour, even when he tried to make her flustered. At that exact moment he got the urge to kiss her, so that is exactly what he did. She was a bit surprised at first, but than gladly returned the kiss that only served to build up the heat between them. Their fiery action lasted for a while, leaving them with desperate need for air.

He did not wait for her to ask the same question again that he avoided to answer the first time. "Happy birthday, beautiful."

She finally knew why he choose to surprise her like this and only one thought came to her mind at a moment as this one. '_This is the sweetest thing he could possibly do for me._' She stared at him for a fleeting second, with joyous tears glistening in her bright blue eyes. "Aww, Shika-kun, thank you so much!" She was so happy, expressing it by enveloping him in a hug, bringing him to lay right next to her. "I love you so much," she whispered softly into his ear, before pecking his cheek lightly.

"I love you too, Ino," he retuned the confession in the most honest way possible, before reaching to touch her cheek. He stroked it gently for a short moment as he stared at her and then kissed her lips tenderly.

Ino smiled in the kiss they shared and when she was able to speak again, she said what really lay on her heart, "This is the best present ever." Afterward, she intertwined their hands and smiled brightly, showing off her glowing delight.

"No, you will get the real present tonight," he spoke and leaned in to kiss the soft skin on her neck.

"Really? What is it? Please, tell me." As she hastily pleaded with a high-pitched tone, excitement filled her whole body. She felt very special and loved, all the while feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach.

He shook his head, before speaking by using a very seductive tone that was quite uncommon for him, "It's a surprise."

"Will you be taking me out? Should I dress up?" Her eagerly asked questions did not waver his determination not even in the slightest. He was not willing to ruin the well thought out surprise he prepared just for her.

"Just wear whatever will make you feel special." After saying that in the most warm way that was possible for him, Shikamaru gave her a look filled with love and affection.

"Oh, Shika-kun, you are so sweet. I will wear my best dress just for you," she spoke cheerfully, before enveloping him in a tight hug, already feeling extremely thrilled. Her smile seemed to be permanently plastered on her face from then on for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Oh look, our birthday girl is practically glowing!" Tenten joked in good nature, upon noticing Ino's bright smile that was sure to dazzle anyone in its wake.

"Happy birthday, Ino!" Sakura was first to envelop her best friend in a hug, as it was immediately followed by the other two.

"Happy birthday, Ino-chan!" Hinata spoke in a sweet tone.

"Happy birthday, babe!" Tenten said with a smile on her face.

"Thanks, guys. You are so sweet." Ino was about to cry, as she always got over-emotional when she shared moments as this one with her friends.

"Okay, speak. What happened to make you so cheery in the morning?" Sakura decided that it was time to press on the matter that Tenten noticed at first.

"Well, Shika-kun woke me up with a breakfast and it was wonderful." She dreamily sighed, while looking up at nothing in particular almost as if flying off in another world. Even her eyes were twinkling noticeably.

The girls squealed at her answer, but were apparently not satisfied enough or maybe knew that there was more than just that.

"We know there is more, Ino," Sakura teased her and playfully nudged her shoulder.

"Oh, yes, there is." Ino joyfully clapped with her hands, before motioning for them to come closer. Then, she spoke quietly in a secretive manner, "He is taking me out tonight, but he didn't say where, except that I should wear whatever makes me feel special."

The girls gasped in amazement, all of them having the same thought. It was not everyday to see the lazy bum act in such a romantic way.

"Ino-pig, you lucky girl." Sakura smiled her best smile, feeling happy for her friend.

"Maybe he'll take you somewhere where you can watch the clouds together," Tenten spoke with quite the serious tone latched to her voice, which is what surprised everybody.

"Tenten!" Ino was unable to contain the screech in surprise.

"What? I was serious, it could be romantic... you'll be watching the stars instead of the clouds, since it will be night time," She said a bit too softly that was characteristic for her usual reaction over things like this one.

All three stared at her as if she had grown another head, completely dumbfounded.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I have dreams, you know. It's not like I am always _tough_." She pouted and crossed her arms, acting as if they had just hurt her feelings. The sudden giggles that filled her ears surprised her, but when she saw her girlfriends launch at her to give her a hug, she just smiled knowingly.

"We were just joking," Sakura said through a warm laugh that was joined by Ino a moment later.

"However, you did surprise us a tiny bit." Hinata was being honest, as she spoke softly.

"Okay, okay." The brown eyed girl smiled at her friends affectionately.

"Ino-pig, I am somehow sad that there won't be a party this year. Your parties are always the best," Sakura said in whole honesty, getting a flashback of memories.

"Aww... sorry, forehead!" She made a sad face, with her lips pulled downward. "But, I arranged a private party later today, just for the four of us." She shrieked in haste, making an effect where she literally managed to surprise the three.

The four of them exchanged looks and screeched in delight at the same time, just like any teenage girls would react over such an invite.

"You'll even help me choose a dress," she said and they all walked toward the school gates.

* * *

The time came when Shikamaru was supposed to take Ino out and give her his present. The girl was anxiously awaiting for his arrival, already dressed up like a princess, which was exactly how she felt like.

She was wearing the dress she picked up with the girls. It was a purple and it's upper part was embroidered with small crystals that reached all the way to her hips where it started to flow out beautifully. It's length reached just above her knees, as it fitted her body perfectly. She held a small clutch in her hands that was all made of crystals, which were forming a beautiful flower on it's surface. Her silvery sandals were high heeled with a small flower just above her toes. Her hair was left loose and flowing in gentle waves down to her waist.

Shikamaru came to pick her up with one of his father's cars that was much more appropriate for something of the sort. It was a deep red 'Aston Martin V8 Vantage' that looked incredibly elegant. He was dressed up as well, already knowing that Ino would do the same. After all, that is why he told her to wear anything that would make her feel special.

"Hey there, birthday girl." He took her hand in his, as he came closer and stood right in front of her. Then, he leaned in to whisper something on her ear, "You look really beautiful." After moving slightly with his head, he brushed her cheek with his and kissed it softly.

"I should say the same for you." When she said that, she internally praised his good looks. Her thoughts were on place, since the _Armani_ suit made him look really handsome. She had never seen him dressed up in such a formal way, which made her feel exceptionally important to him, because _now_ he did it for her.

Afterward, he lead her toward his car and opened the door for her. It seemed that he could be a gentleman when he wanted to act like one. When they were both seated in the car, she turned to look at him and asked curiously, "So, where are you taking me?"

"Be patient, you'll see." That was the only answer he gave as a smirk spread on his lips.

They drove for a long time, which made Ino even more anxious that before. She realized that she had never felt more nervous in her life. When he finally pulled to a stop, it was so dark outside that she could not distinguish where they were. Her first guess was already out of the question, because a restaurant could never be located at such a dark place.

After he opened the door for her and she exited out of the car, the whole scenery in front of her eyes lightened up. The whole place was illuminated with millions of lights and Ino felt just as if she was part of some magical fairytale. They stood at a small distance from a table that had only two chairs and was set perfectly. It was located at some sort of a garden with so many trees and flowers all around them. A man was playing a very soft music on a violin, making everything even more romantic.

She could not hold in the tears that filled her eyes. The happiness she felt was immeasurable. No one has ever made her feel so wonderful on her birthday nonetheless. Shikamaru gave her all the happiness she could ask for by just being her boyfriend and this surprise was just something out of dream.

"Shika-kun, it's really beautiful," she said in a slightly shaky voice, evoked by the strong emotions that flowed through her. " I can't even describe how happy I am."

"You don't have to say anything more. I can see your beautiful smile and that is all I need." He reached to touch her cheek, before leaning in to invite her into a kiss, which she gladly accepted.

They stayed for a long moment enveloped in a warm hug, just staring at each others eyes. "Wasn't this a bit too troublesome for you?" The girl felt like she could tease him a bit, not expecting to get a confirmation.

"Maybe a little bit," he joked in a cool manner, but just as he said that, Ino did not wait a second and hit his shoulder gently, showing that she felt offended by it. He just smiled at her reaction and immediately corrected himself. "Of course not, Ino. I wanted to give you a special present."

She could read in his dark eyes that he was being more sincere than ever. "Thank you. This means a lot to me," she said softly and leaned her head on his chest.

The rest of the night she felt as if she lived through the most magical moment of her life, and what made her especially happy was that she shared it with Shikamaru. He felt exactly the same, mostly satisfied that he made _her_ happy.

* * *

It was Saturday, the day of the concert, as it was almost time for the start. The whole place that was barely lit was already filled with thousands of teenagers that were there to see one of the biggest stars in Japan.

Her friends were probably the ones who were the most excited among the mass of people. This event was the topic of the week among them and they were all preparing for it the whole day, since the early morning. Sakura gave them special passes and they were now in the VIP section, with a great view of the scene. They all felt nervous for her and anxiously awaiting to see her on the stage, listen to her sing as she performs her own songs.

The raven-haired teenager was unable to contain the anticipation he felt, because he couldn't wait to see her. He became one of her biggest fans over the past two weeks, but he never let it be shown on the outside. For the eyes of the others he was as stoic as ever.

Sakura was backstage, more ready than ever, prepared to give her best for the biggest show in her life. It was her first concert in Tokyo, ever since she started the promotional tour. She could already feel the excitement racing through her veins. Her cell phone was already filled with messages from her most precious people, all of them wishing her luck. Sasuke's mother Mikoto and even Itachi surprised her pleasantly by calling her an hour ago.

"Sakura, it's time! Are you ready?" Tsunade stood in front of the nervous girl and smiled encouragingly.

"Not really," Sakura joked and smiled back, before she was enveloped in a warm hug by the blonde woman. It became their ritual to do this just before all of the concerts, because it helped Sakura to calm down and focus.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The lights in the enormous hall shut down, leaving the crowd in complete darkness, which was just like a trigger for the excited fans. Screams filled the hot air, as they all expected the teen star to finally show up on the scene and entertain them and give them the best show they've ever seen. Red lights illuminated the centre of the huge stage, and at the same time the wide screen was on and Sakura's face was on it. If it was possible the screams got even more louder, but then a deep voice introduced the awaited star of the night.

As the loud voice echoed throughout the hall, her name flashed on the screen that was positioned at the centre of everything. But, on the other four screens, which were dispersed on different places round the scene, there was a scene where she was captured wearing a flowing red dress as fire was blazing behind her. It was inspired by one of her videos, where the whole scenery was exactly like that.

Fire blasted on five different places on the stage and the next thing that everybody saw was the silhouette of Sakura right where the red lights gave her the spotlight. She was dressed up in a black dress that was flowing just beneath her waist and cut out unevenly. The upper part was like some sort of a corset and it hugged her torso in a sexy way. She had beautiful boots that reached a few inches above her ankles and were the same color as the dress. On both hands she had brightly colored bracelets that stood out nicely, but not distastefully.

The loud music filled everyone's ears and their response was immediate; the crowd was literally going crazy out of pure exhilaration. The notes she wrote were being played on the piano, just the way she imagined the intro of her song to sound like. This moment was the proof of how loved Sakura was and why she became such a big star in the extremely short period of only four months.

The screen zoomed in on her smiling face, exactly before she brought the microphone to her lips and screamed with so much energy, "Are you ready to have fun?" She was instantly rewarded with a positive response, as the whole hall was filled with the screeches of so many young people that were there just for her.

Even Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs and the others in the VIP section joined him. Every single one of her friends was there to support her and they couldn't stop the smiles that were evoked by pure feelings of happiness because of the extremely emotional moment. The intensity of what they all just witnessed struck them hard, because they were the ones that saw how hard she worked to get here. Seeing that their friend Sakura already lived the moments of what once was only a dream was something incredible.

Sakura was excited to the maximum and in addition to the strong effect on her insides by the bass that came from the enormous speakers, she could still feel her heart beating even more erratically than that. She gripped the microphone with such intensity, evoked by the pure passion she felt and when she brought it to her red colored lips she started to sing. Her beautiful voice had an amazing effect on anyone that heard her sing and it really complimented the music in such a wonderful way that it just made the song sound even more powerful.

_I can make the rain stop if I wanna,_  
_Just by my attitude_  
_I can take my laptop, record a snapshot_  
_And change your point of view_

_I just entered this brand new world_  
_And I'm so open hearted_  
_I know I've got a long way to go_  
_but I'm just getting started_

The fans that stood right in front of the vast stage reached out to touch her even for a second. She was willing to give them what they wanted, because she was ready to get the best out of herself and make this concert better not only for her devoted fans but for her own pleasure too. It was unbelievable to her that this was actually happening and she really felt so many strong feelings flowing through her body.

Every single muscle on her body expressed her true self, just as she moved on the scene with such vigour. It was amazing to look at her, while clinking those high heels on the stage, dancing and emitting such a wonderful voice at the same time. She transferred all of the energy she possessed to the people that were dancing in front of her, making the whole crowd start singing the lyrics along with her with such enthusiasm.

_I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it_  
_I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it_  
_Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try_  
_Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it_  
_I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it_  
_And I know everything will be fine_  
_With me, myself and time_

In the VIP section everybody were dancing and singing, but Naruto was the most excited, expressed by the way he jumped up and down with so much energy. He was acting exactly like a crazed fan would, but he somehow did not feel right. He noticed that the best spot was in the fan pit and this section was not where he wanted to be. It was right at that moment that Naruto wished to be there, in front of the stage, as closest as possible to his friend, share this moment with her and to be able to remember it forever. After all, he was always the most enthusiastic of them all and always up to some crazy actions. "I'm going there!" he screamed at the top of his lungs and went past his friends, toward the guards of the VIP section, already determined to make his wish come true.

"What! You can't do that!" Tenten screeched after him, but something in her agreed with his idea. She also felt the same way and wanted to be there, next to her best friend.

"Of course I can, we have 'Friend Of Haruno Sakura' passes, so anything is possible." He just had to show the card to the guards and he will be in the fan pit in no time. It was incredible how his brain worked so fast and in such a wicked way when the moment required it. The whole group stared at him in disbelief and with dumbstruck expressions on their faces.

_I go where life takes me,_

_but some days it makes me want to change my direction_  
_Sometimes it gets lonely,_

but i know that its only a matter of my perception

Ino huffed, as she stared to where Naruto left. "He's really crazy!" she said, but the jealousy could be seen in her light blue eyes, showing her desperate desire to do the same and go where all the fun is.

_I just entered this brand new world_  
_And I'm so open hearted_

"I'm going there, too!" Kiba walked after Naruto, not being able to take it anymore. He was always into bold actions and this was something that he really wanted to do, so no one could stop him.

Hinata exchanged looks with her best friends and they all nodded in agreement and walked off. It was all that the others needed to decide on the same thing, as they all followed behind.

_I know I've got a long way to go but I_  
_I'm just getting started_

It was a really strange sight to be witnessed on a concert, but they were determined and demanded to be brought in front of the stage. They walked as fast as possible among the rest of the people in the fan pit, but really they had the right to be there; after all, they were Sakura's friends.

While all of that happened, Sakura was singing excitedly and noticed nothing. She was really into it, that she felt like on cloud seven.

_I'm over my head, and I know it, i know it_  
_I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it_  
_Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try_  
_Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it_  
_I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it_  
_And I know everything will be fine_  
_With me, myself and time._

They were finally where they wanted to be and Naruto felt proud of himself for the awesomely great idea. He jumped excitedly and sang the lyrics with a smile on his face. It was only when she leaned for a second time to interact with her fans, that she finally touched Naruto's hand as he reached forward. She glanced at the owner of that hand and was struck by such a pleasant surprise that she could only smile broadly at that. Her happiness grew the moment she spotted the others that stood around him, while she unconsciously squeezed Naruto's hand led by the bliss of the moment; every single one of her friends stood in front of her and she couldn't believe that they were actually there. They all smiled back, even the guys, and she couldn't suppress the strong feelings that consumed her whole, as tears glistened in her green eyes.

Sakura sang the song with much more passion and enthusiasm than before. Her friends joined her and sang along.

_And baby there is nothing like this moment_  
_To just be real and let the truth be spoken_  
_Whatever's broken I can make it unbroken_  
_Turn the lead in my hand and there's something golden_  
_Just try more love, if I try more love then I'll find_  
_Myself and time_

_I'm over my head, and I know it, I know it_  
_I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it_  
_Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try_

Afterward, the teen star started clapping her hands, encouraging the crowd to do the same.

_I'm over my head, and I know it, i know it_  
_I'm doing my best not to show it, to show it_  
_Whatever it takes to be what I was meant to be, I'm going to try_  
_Cause I'm living the dream and I know it, I know it_  
_I'm trying my best not to blow it, to blow it_  
_And I know everything will be fine_  
_With me, myself and time_

_I'll find myself in time,_  
_I know I'll find myself in time_

The rest of the concert went incredibly great; the light show was perfect, there were at least 20 dancers that joined Sakura on the stage. Her outfit was chosen personally by her and she went backstage two times in order to change it. Her second outfit was metallic with the corset made out of small cut out pieces. It was really short as thin bluish strands were flowing over her thighs. The third outfit was much similar to the first one, except that it was longer, in deep blue shade and there was some silver details embroidered on the corset.

She sang every song unbelievably well, bringing so much emotion out on the open. It was definitely one of the best nights in her life and she knew that she would never ever forget it, especially since she shared everything with her precious friends.

The people that were there would also remember it forever, because the teen star gave her best effort to make it memorable and the awesome organization was just an added bonus to the show she presented.

Finally, to everyone's immense displeasure it was time for the closing song. The pink-haired girl did not look tired at all; if anything she was a bit sad that this wonderful night had to end eventually. Sakura wanted to close the show the best way possible, so she spoke to the crowd right before the song was played.

"This next song is one of the first songs I've ever written. It holds a special place in my heart and that is why I left it as last." She smiled, as the hall was filled with screams for the millionth time that night. "Let's sing it together!" she screamed one last time, before the music blasted through the enormous hall as a final closing moment of such a beautiful show.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke for a very short second, right at the exact moment she started to sing the lyrics. It was the song she wrote while they were still friends and the time she was unconditionally in love with him, expecting nothing in return. The soft look she directed at him was something she really had to do, since her heart demanded it.

_I'm fine, don't believe it_  
_You know me enough to know that's a lie_  
_I'm close, hard as it is to say_  
_To total this as I'm barely holding on_

_I need you now, ohh, I need you now, don't turn away_  
_I need you now, ohh, please don't turn me away_

Sasuke was entranced by her completely, as if her voice lifted him up and now he was flying. It was the same feeling again, just as same as it was whenever she sang in front of him. He never realized it, but he could feel it only because Sakura was really singing the song for him. She looked at his eyes from above, as she let the feelings slip out of her. The warm feeling engulfed his senses and for some reason made him feel awfully pleasant, just as if she was there next to him and holding his hand.

_Out of here where I've been spinning  
It's nearly impossible to slow down  
One night of your company  
Might be the only thing to keep me sane  
_

_I need you now, ohh, I need you now, don't turn away  
I need you now, ohh, please don't turn me away_

She entered in that magical place again, as the same emotions that inspired her to write this song gripped her heart in an instant. Memories of how much she used to cherish her friendship with him flashed through her mind, especially how uneasy it was to hide her real feelings as the days passed and nothing ever happened. She remembered that she enjoyed it, never feeling bothered by it or feel unhappy. The happiness that consumed her at this moment was the same as it was then and she knew that it was because she had the same chance once again. Deciding that she should treasure it like a precious jewel, she sang the song with much more emotion and closed the concert, which was one of the best experiences she ever had, together with everything she shared with Sasuke.

_How many times have I come to you vulnerable like this?  
I know you have the right to question but please don't ask  
I need you now, ohh  
(The clock is ticking and the fuse is burning)_

_Ohh, I need you now  
(Can't keep runnin' from what is coming)  
Don't turn me away, don't turn me away_

_(The clock is ticking and the fuse is burning_

_Can't keep runnin' from what is coming)_

_I need you now, ohh, I need you now, don't turn away  
I need you now, ohh, please don't turn me away_

_I need you now, ohh  
(The clock is ticking and the fuse is burning)  
Can't keep runin' from what is coming_

_The clock is ticking and the fuse is burning  
Can't keep runnin' from what is coming_

_I heed you now, please don't turn me away_

_I need you now_

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

**A/N:** If you are wondering why in this chapter it was Shikamaru's and Ino's birthday one day after another... the reason is that I want to leave the real dates of their birthdays, just as Kishimoto wrote in the manga databooks. And, since Shikamaru's birthday is the 22 of September and Ino's a day after that, I used it in my story as it is.


	7. Chapter 5: Love & Regret I

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. I don't own any of the brands mentioned either.

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**5**__**th**__** Chapter:**_ _Love & Regret_

_-part 1-_

"Sakura-chan, the concert was awesome!" Naruto screamed, lifting up a fist in the air, which was his normal way of expressing his joyful self whenever he had a real reason to feel so happy. He had just arrived at the school cafeteria, where the rest of his friends were already seated at their usual table.

Sakura felt the stares that came from the other students and even though she was supposed to get used to the attention, she could not stop the uneasiness that crawled up on her. She waved a hand at the hyperactive blonde, almost ordering him to take a seat and hopefully shut his big mouth. Honestly, it was already too much that so many of the students in their school approached her during the last two hours and kept telling her about their impressions. It became clear enough that the entire school had been at the concert, regardless of the fact that some had come not as her fans but merely hoping that she'd make a joke out of herself — clearly, Sasuke's fan-girls, who were extremely jealous of her success.

"And, look at this!" The brown-haired girl lifted up a magazine and pointedly spoke of the headline that was written over the cover where Sakura's picture was spread out. It was a perfectly good picture of Sakura on stage with the microphone in her hand, while she sang with evident energy. The words that reached the eyes of every occupant on the table were "An exalting concert fit for a Pop Princess!".

Whispers could be heard from all around them; clearly Sakura was far too much an interesting topic at the moment to be left alone. Their common sense had completely deserted them, making way for their excitement — they seemed oblivious of the fact that she was there and could obviously hear everything.

Sakura huffed hopelessly at the situation, especially since she could not find a way to keep them from talking about it. So, she choose to sink low in her chair and just covered her face with her hands. However, she could still hear everything that was said about her; it was really unbelievable how she was still not hyperventilating because of all the attention.

"Tenten, read it so we can all hear it!" Kiba shouted by using his usual ear-splitting voice and not even noticing the annoyed looks that were undoubtedly being directed at him.

Tenten started reading out loud. She felt immensely proud of Sakura's success and her smile said it all.

"Sakura's concert in Tokyo was a spectacular show, down to the tiniest detail. The opening was magical in it's own way, with the fire as an added effect, while the beautiful teen star outshined even the starlit sky with her get up, rumoured to have been personally chosen by her. Apart from showing us her incredible and distinguished sense of style, she presented a better show than even her most devoted fans expected that night. All this speaks volumes of her true dedication to everything she does as a professional musician. Her lively energy radiating from her, reflected upon every single person watching her perform live, singing along to her each and every song. Whichever word we choose to describe her vivaciously beautiful voice would never be a sufficient praise." Tenten took a small moment to regain her breath, while Sakura, who was blushing at the written words, seized the opportunity to protect herself from further discomfort.

"Okay, Tenten, I believe that is enough," Sakura spoke timidly, but still was very fast to react in desperate attempt to stop the brown eyed girl from reading the complete review. She tried to take the magazine out of Tenten's hands, as she reached for it from across the table. Her embarrassment was stirred up by the fact that her friend read it out loud in front of the whole gang. The fact that some of the other students that were in hearing range could hear everything made things even worse.

Tenten, who was as fast as ever, lifted up the magazine and effortlessly didn't allow it to be taken away from her. She shook her head at Sakura, which was a sign that she did not intend to stop what she had started. In all honesty, she was enjoying herself, not just because her friend was being glorified in one of the most prestigious magazines, but also because the girls in the school were clearly teeming with jealousy.

"No, no! Let me finish... There were moments of pure magnificence and liveliness, where even her powerful vocal performance added only a little to the wonder felt by everyone present. We can only imagine how her fans felt like throughout the whole show — our best guess is that it must have been one of the best nights of their lives. What we saw this Saturday night only makes us more anxious to see her performance for the long awaited Music Awards, which is certainly going to be something grand. In attempt to make this report worthy enough for what Sakura Haruno represents today — the brightest teen star in all Japan, we choose the following line as the closing line... It is completely undeniable that the Cherry Blossom has bloomed into a magnificent flower and what we desire is for her to continue following the brightly lit road she has chosen and we fervently hope to witness her rise toward the highest peak of her career, which will certainly be something tremendously worthy of our attention." She finished reading, but she had a very interesting expression plastered on her face. When she lifted her head to look at Sakura, she just mouthed 'whoa' and flashed a blindingly beautiful smile.

"Sakura-chan, you deserved every word of it." Naruto tried to whisper this time but it came out in his normal tone, as he reached out and placed a hand over hers. Then, he smiled affectionately at her, attempting to convey his friendly admiration for her success. She could not stop the smile that spread on her lips — seeing the kind of looks her friends gave her made her heart flutter violently.

"Oh, guys, thank you!" she said softly and squeezed Naruto's hand in return.

"My youthful flower, I will cherish the memories of you singing on that stage for the rest of my life." Lee enthusiastically flashed a beaming smile at the pink-haired girl, which made her smile genuinely. Sasuke, however, was releasing a deadly aura, as he glared at the over-zealous boy.

"Oh, I can't wait to see you perform at the Music Awards!" Ino clapped her hands, before leaning toward Sakura to whisper something in her ear, "Will Takeshi be your date for the night?" The mischievous look in the blonde's eyes made the teen star blush slightly.

Sasuke heard everything and he was unpleasantly surprised by what Ino had just asked. He could not imagine Sakura being someone else's girlfriend, not in a million years. Even the idea of having some asshole, just like that Takeshi guy, escort her — or worse be her date — was making his blood boil. The fact that Sakura blushed when Ino mentioned _him_, made him feel awfully tense.

"No, I am sure we will receive separate invitations," Sakura answered shortly, as she started chewing on her salad.

"Too bad, and I was hoping..." Ino trailed off into a world of daydreams; she thought that a love between two teen stars would be like a dream come true or more like a fairytale where a prince and a princess fall in love.

"So, you'll be going alone?" Tenten asked, curiosity getting the better of her when she heard where the conversation was leading to.

"I don't know, Tsunade says that my invitation will be for me plus one." Her answer was said in a nonchalant way, but then her thoughts led her to something that made her feel very confused. Realisation downed on her that she'll have to choose which one of her friends she would walking down the red carpet with. The whole idea put an immense pressure on her, as she felt completely incapable of making such a decision.

'_If the teme was still her boyfriend, it would've been him,_' Naruto thought, but never considered saying it out loud, mostly out of consideration for his two friends and their feelings, or fearing that they might bring back unwanted memories. He looked at them with a sad expression, wondering what kind of a relationship they shared now. He made a mental note to himself to arrange a little talk with Sasuke.

"As much as I want to take you all, it just has to be one. The others will get VIP passes." The pink-haired girl held a tinge of apology in her soft voice, as she looked at her friends. She felt bad for saying that in front of them, because she could never put one in front of another and the way things were she just knew that she was going to have to do just that.

Everyone in their group fell silent in thought for a short while, until Tenten almost jumped out of her seat with a victorious look on her face.

"Oh, I know, we can have a draw!" the brown-eyed girl spoke so abruptly that she managed to surprise everyone. She ignored their reaction and looked expectantly at Sakura for a confirmation.

"That's a great idea, Tenten." Naruto's words just left his mouth, before anyone else could react. He got really excited because the proposed idea just build a foundation for his incredibly wicked plan that involved Sasuke and Sakura. His determination to help them realise the one thing they both failed to notice reached it's highest peak.

Sakura did not lose time thinking about it, she just accepted, with no other thought in mind. "I like that, it seems it's the only way, since I can't possibly pick just one of you." Her smile grew considerably, mostly because she felt relieved for finding a way out of her internal struggle. She was utterly thankful of Tenten and her knack for finding a solution to almost everything.

"Last year we were gathered up at your place to watch the show and now you will be attending as one of the invitees and on top of everything perform on stage. This is just so exciting." Hinata surprised everybody with her long speech, but mostly because she did not show much of her timid self. This time, for some reason, the girl was smiling delightfully and enjoying the time she shared with her friends.

Naruto, who was sitting right next to her, was mesmerized by her and stared at her for a moment. That was of course, until he noticed the glare that came from Neji; the stoic Hyuga was not very pleased by seeing the blonde ogling at his cousin.

"Honestly, I am very nervous, Hinata. I feel like I'll freeze up on that stage and embarrass myself," Sakura whispered the last words, as she squinted her eyes at the food in front of her, feeling quite unnerved by the thought.

"Don't worry about it. You'll be great!" Ino spoke while casually flipping her hair out of her eyes, feeling that her words were the very truth and nothing else.

"How can you not be? You were born to be a star," Tenten agreed with much sincerity, while her admiration for the pink-haired girl was the primary note in her tone.

"I agree!" Naruto shouted, while nodding his head several times in total approval of the words said by the girls.

Lee joined with a nod of his own, for he was unable to speak with a full mouth.

"They are right, you know." Sakura heard Sasuke's deep voice whisper right at her ear, making her shiver slightly. As she moved her head a bit in order to be able to look at him, his words finally reached her mind. She noted the pure sincerity that was readable in his onyx eyes, with a sudden satisfaction warming her on the inside.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She smiled a bright smile at him, making him smirk in response.

They all enjoyed the friendly chattering about unimportant things until the lunch break was finished. When the school bell rang to announce that the class would start in five minutes, they all stood up to exit the cafeteria. Sakura was waiting for the moment when she could be alone with Sasuke in order to talk to him about something important. They were out in the hall and he was just few steps ahead of her, so she took that as the perfect opportunity.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" Sakura called after him, while reaching out to stop him from walking away. She took his hand in complete unawareness. If by any chance she was in control of her own actions, her reaction would have been totally different. "Could you do me a tiny favour?" The pleading in her voice stopped him in his tracks, as he instantly turned to look at her.

Sasuke's curiosity was perked up significantly, making his insides turn upside down in nervousness. He wondered what kind of favour she could need — for her to ask something from him the way she did, he noticed that it must be very important to her. "Hn. What is it?" His tone was devoid of any emotion, which was a complete cover up for what he truly felt by just looking at her. If that was not causing him enough strain, then her innocent expression would always make her his weak spot.

There was a moment shared between them both, as they choose the same second to take notice of their linked hands. When he looked up, he took in the slight blush on her face, and he realised that her thoughts were obviously directed at the action she did without thinking. He thought it over shortly, before accepting that her discomfiture must have been because she wasn't meaning to do it. The mere thought pained him a little for some reason.

When she finally looked up and their eyes clashed in a whirlwind of hidden emotions, he felt a slight tingle go through his body. The whole hall seemed to shrink around them, making them only aware of one another. She choose to ignore the strong sensation that was pulling her toward him and she let go of his hand with a swift motion.

"Well..." the cool facade he decided to put on was making her hesitate. If it was something that she could accomplish without asking for his help, she would have never chosen to go through this. "...you know, since Naruto's birthday is in two weeks, I wanted us to throw a surprise party for him." She then looked at him expectantly with her expressive jade eyes.

His first reaction was to stare at her, as he never let his eyes move away from her face. It surprised Sakura to a great extent, making her narrow her eyes questioningly. "You think it's an awful idea." Her cheery mood was dropped instantly; her best guess was that he said nothing because he thought it was stupid.

The instant she looked down in utter defeat, Sasuke decided to snap out of his daydream. He hated that he made her feel that way, when in reality he was spacing out for a different reason. He would never admit it out loud, but he was mesmerized by her at that moment to the extent of making him loose total grip of reality.

"No, I like it!" His tone was much louder than it was usual for him. The anger he felt with himself is what evoked the heated response.

It took Sakura by surprise, but when she realized what he just said, a huge smile spread on her lips. "Really?" she asked him, with pure happiness dancing in her jade orbs.

"Hn," was his answer, before he smirked at her in slight amusement. It was nice to see her so happy.

Sakura had no difficulty in understanding what that grunt meant, for she knew him very well. However, her reaction to his consent shocked them both.

She jumped to embrace him, making him freeze on the spot. The beautiful smell he knew so well that he could conjure it up in his dreams, engulfed his senses. He smiled a real smile, which she did not see, as he placed one hand on her back almost hesitantly. Sakura did notice that small gesture and was very much pleased to see that he was comfortable with them being friends. It hurt her a bit that his feelings would never develop in something more, but she willingly ignored it. If she could possibly know that it was nothing like that, and that the feelings he harboured for her were already unbelievably strong, her thoughts would have been much different.

When she pulled away from him she did not feel the need to apologize, because even when they were friends she was allowed to hug him. It was utterly bizarre to her why was she the only person to do that, when at the same time it represented a forbidden action for everybody else. True, Naruto was allowed to go near Sasuke to a limited extent, but a full hug was always a no.

Sasuke looked at the watch on his wrist and noted that their class would start any minute now, so he nonchalantly motioned for her to follow him toward their classroom. She just nodded and they both started walking down the hall.

"I'm am so excited, Sasuke-kun. I have arranged a meeting with the party planner for this afternoon, since I want to make a huge celebration. After all, Naruto deserves it." She was walking beside him, with that pleasant smile ever present on her lips. "Would you like to come with me?" She leaned a bit in order to look at him, as she placed both of her hands behind her back. It was an action she did quite often, making Sasuke smirk in sheer amusement.

"Sure," he shrugged with his shoulders, looking as if he didn't care much about it. Nevertheless, Sakura saw it in his eyes that he was as willing to go with the idea as much as she was, which made her even more enthusiastic.

The rest of the way toward their next class, Sakura was the one that chattered with vigour, while Sasuke was more than enjoying himself as he just listened to her exceptionally sweet voice.

* * *

The last class, which was P.E. with Guy-sensei, had just begun and while Sakura was inside, her bodyguard was standing outside of the school gym. It was the only class the whole gang shared together, and they were already doing some of the excessive warming up sessions Might Guy gave them. Lee might have been the only one eager enough to accept them with enthusiasm, while the rest were plainly irritated by the severity of his classes.

In the meantime, Eiichiro received an update from the other bodyguard of a situation that took place outside of the school building. He was immediately making an assessment of the whole situation, already having several plans in store. It was only a matter of question which approach Sakura would prefer.

Eiichiro, along with the other bodyguard and the driver were constantly conversing about the changes that occurred, while patiently waiting for Sakura. When the teen star finally exited the girls' changing room — with Ino, Hinata and Tenten by her side — he approached her in a very stealthy way. The girls were completely taken by surprise by his sudden appearance, as Hinata could not even suppress her staggered gasp. On the contrary, the pink-haired girl was not taken aback by this, being already used to his presence.

"Miss, we have a situation outside," he addressed her in a strictly professional manner.

Sakura nodded with her head, as she asked him, "What is it?"

"The press is waiting for you outside and no signs of any paparazzi. What should we do?" His question was not answered right away, because Sakura was taking her time to think it over. "We can still take the emergency exit," he suggested one of the possibilities they had, which was to evade the whole mess with no single obstacle in their way.

"No, that won't be necessary, Eiichiro. Just stay by my side and I'll handle the rest," she said that in a thoughtful manner, with her elegant eyebrows scrunched up in concentration.

"Sakura-chan, is everything okay?" Hinata asked in a very quiet voice, ushering Sakura to turn to look at her three friends. She immediately met with the worried expression on the girls' faces, understanding their silent questions.

The look on their faces made Sakura consider a wholly different idea. She started to contemplate if it would be better for her to call Tsunade and get a first hand info on what the press could possibly want with her. Without paying too much attention to that thought, she immediately put it aside. Her best guess was that it might be because of the concert. Whichever way she looked at the current situation, she figured it was best for her not to ignore the press. '_At least, they are not like the paparazzi,_' she thought, with a tinge of relief making her less uneasy about the whole thing.

"No, it's only the press. They will only ask some questions, "she gave them the reassurance they needed by smiling slightly in a fairly positive way. It was clear enough that they couldn't simply forget the terrible incident with the paparazzo, so their worry was justified and Sakura knew that very well.

The girls' faces lit up and they all nodded at her in response to her reassuring words.

"Okay, we'll wait for you at the parking lot," Tenten said in a calm manner, before they started walking away from Sakura.

Sakura also started walking, while Eiichiro was right beside her doing his job as her personal bodyguard. The other students were already used to the sight, so they were no longer staring at the teen star.

Besides being used to the attention and the pressure that came from the press, she was still nervous about some things. When almost at the exit, she exhaled a huge gasp of air in utter attempt to calm her nerves. "Okay, here we go." Those words were said in a faint whisper, just as she pushed the heavy door open.

In a flash she was surrounded by so many cameras and reporters, making her dazed out of her mind. Her ears were filled with so many voices, practically abusing her mind with the many questions asked. She couldn't possibly distinguish one from another, so she just nodded her head at Eiichiro, silently telling him to settle the commotion.

"Please, could we do this in a calmer way." His strong voice changed their approach in an instant, so Sakura took the opportunity and pointed at one of the reporters, urging him to ask the first question.

"How do you feel after being nominated in so many categories for the Music Awards?" There were microphones in front of Sakura's face, right after the question was asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sakura answered without knowing what else to say. She was taken aback by such a question. As far as she knew, the nominees weren't announced in the public yet.

"The nominees were announced this morning and you are among one of those nominated in the most categories. Haven't you seen the official declaration by their spokesperson?" The same reporter addressed her, looking at her expectantly while waiting for the answer.

"No, I have no knowledge of the official nominees' announcement." Sakura's voice was portraying a slight shock, as she was feeling a bit stunned by the information she just received.

"Well, you are nominated in six different categories, one of them being _Song of the Year_!" Another reporter that finally choose to speak, intentionally gave accent to that award, already being aware of its meaning. "So, how do you feel about that?" he added.

The teen idol couldn't believe what she just heard, as it all sounded too surreal. After all, her career has just begun and she was already nominated among the best of the best in Japan. "If it is as you just said, and I am nominated in so many categories, then I am honoured. I don't know if you'll believe me or not, but my heart is already beating erratically, just from hearing all you have just said." She smiled lightly, making all of the reporters 'Aww...' in response, at which she could only blush. Sakura felt as if everything around her started to move at a very high speed and she was having difficulties grasping the reality. To her, it seemed as if all of it was just far too incredible to be happening to her.

"What if you win all those awards?" one of the reporters asked while smiling at her in appreciation, which she only noted because it was rare to see someone with such a positive aura among the press.

"Oh, wow... frankly, I don't have an answer to that. I guess I will be more than overwhelmed if that happens," She smiled, but her expression said it all. She was too ecstatic already. '_...which I doubt it will._' However, she was still as humble as ever, almost not finding the strength to believe in herself.

"Do you think that you deserve to win?" one of the women among the press decided to be bolder by asking such a direct question.

Nevertheless, Sakura stood her ground and answered in a very refined way, "I couldn't be the judge of that, but I am sure that the competition will definitely be tough and I wouldn't count on my luck when it comes to awards with such great importance." She finished her answer with quite a serious expression on her face, since she felt it was much too dreamlike to be talking about such a thing. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be nominated in so many categories in the very first year of her career, when in reality she should have only been part of the new artists and nothing more.

"I shall only wish you good luck, then!" The nice reporter gave her a warm smile, while nodding his head at her direction in encouragement. Apart from his obviously pleasant character, he also had pleasant facial features. His hair was red and his light brown eyes looked really innocent.

Sakura just nodded her head in thanks, as a small smile spread on her rosy lips.

"What about your performance at the Awards? Are you getting ready for that?" some woman asked, who by the elegance in tone and outwear looked exactly as if she were coming from a prestigious television channel.

"As a matter of fact, I am. The whole performance is already planned out and I am rehearsing with the team of dancers every day," Sakura spoke in a professional way, recalling all of those hours spent in the rehearsing room with the other dancers.

"Do you plan to do a spectacular show as was said in the newspapers?" The same woman continued with the questioning on the same topic. Apparently, she came from the house that bought the rights to air the Music Awards Show live on TV.

"We are working hard to achieve that and I hope for nothing more than to make everybody satisfied with the performance." Her answer was truthful to the last word, because she and the rest of the crew were completely devoted to the dance choreography.

It appeared that the reporters were in a good mood that morning, since there was another that was willing to praise the teen star. "After the show you presented this weekend, it is difficult to doubt such a thing. Will you be singing some of your hit songs?"

"That is going to be a surprise. I guess you'll just have to wait and see." Sakura smiled playfully after saying that.

"You're still full of surprises, Sakura." She finally noted the softness in the eyes of the nice reporter. It seemed that he was truly sincere. However, his next words managed to make her blush in embarrassment. "We can definitely see why you deserve to be called a star." He winked at her while saying that. It looked exactly as if he was making subtle advances toward the beautiful teen idol, besides being couple of years older.

"Thank you," she uttered the soft words in truthful gratitude.

"No... thank you." His reference was unclear, but it seemed that he was thanking her in the name of the whole press that was gathered there for being nice enough to answer their questions.

After the press left, Sakura was still rooted to the spot without even considering to make a move. The questioning may have been very short, but it was certainly significant. The moment of shock finally reached her, while she was trying to rein in every thought that was making her mind spin.

Eiichiro's voice brought her back from her slight moment of spacing out, by asking, "Miss, are you alright?" He was standing a few feet away from her and there wasn't a single emotion written on his face, as he was acting utterly professional.

"Yes, I'm okay," she said in a quiet tone, before blinking a few times in attempt to clear her head. She abruptly turned to walk in the direction of the parking lot, while addressing her bodyguard in haste, "We should go, my friends must be waiting." She scolded herself for making the girls wait for her, especially since so much time has passed and she was wasting time on insignificant thinking.

The girls, after seeing that Sakura was walking in their direction, immediately took note of her facial expression that undoubtedly portrayed a set of mixed emotions. Wondering about it was all they could possibly do at that moment, and they waited patiently for her to tell them what happened.

As she stopped to stand right in front of them, she opened her mouth attempting to say something. However, not a single word was uttered after she caught herself unable to formulate her own thoughts.

The pale-eyed girl noticed that Sakura was going through some kind of an internal struggle and instantly reacted in order to help her out. "Sakura-chan, how did it go?" she timidly asked, her shyness evoked by the look on her friend's face.

"Normal, I guess, but it seems I am nominated in six different categories for the Music Awards," she spoke in a thoughtful manner, while staring at one single dot on the asphalt. Her mind was still trying to process the fresh information and she was finally grasping the severity of the whole situation. Sakura was fully aware that the Music Award nominations made a huge impact onto anyone's career — it was a frightening thought, thinking how it would influence hers. Just by thinking about it she started having difficulties controlling her own emotions. Everything going through her mind caused a jumble of feelings and she was unable to settle her own thoughts.

"Oh. My. God., Sakura, are you for real?" Tenten asked, totally dazed by what Sakura had said, as was fairly noticeable by the flabbergasted expression on her face. The other girls were also shocked, they just stared with their eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. They had not expected anything of the sort, for the news were so abrupt and best described as a huge boulder that came crashing down on them.

"I... think... so?" she slowly worded her answer as if in question, mostly because she was still unable to hold onto the reality.

"Whoa, those are like major news!" Ino screeched a bit more loudly than it was her intention. Her facial features never changed from the moment her mind processed the information and were one of true astonishment.

"Tell me about it," Sakura whispered in obvious disbelief. If receiving the news that she would officially become a singer was huge for her, then this would undoubtedly classify as colossal news.

After a moment of complete silence was shared among the girls, Sakura finally added the other thought that came to her mind, "I still haven't heard from Tsunade."

"Maybe you should give her a call," Hinata suggested.

"You are right, I should," the pink-haired girl agreed and was already reaching for her cell phone she kept in her shoulder bag. The second she grasped it in her hand, the device started ringing. "Speak of the devil!" she joked and pressed the answer key.

"Moshi Moshi," she greeted, after placing the small gadget on her ear.

"Sakura, you are not gonna believe what I am about to tell you!" Tsunade's ecstatic bark was heard on the other line of the phone. She was undoubtedly in a wonderful mood, which was a rare occasion in her career as a manager.

"Is it about the nominations?" Sakura did not wait a single second and went on with the issue at hand. Her best guess was that the reason Tsunade sounded so content must be something major and this was definitely something that would fall under that description.

"How did you know?" Judging by Tsunade's tone of voice she was seriously taken aback and there was a slight disappointment latched to it also. She wanted to be the one that would surprise the girl and for some reason someone beat her to it, which exasperated her quite a bit.

"You are the first one to officially confirm it to me, but the press was waiting for me in front of the school, and that is how I found out," Sakura spoke in haste, unable to contain her excitement because of the tingly shivers that flowed through her whole body. She realised that it was a new feeling and nothing even close to any familiar experience.

"How did it go? Were there any paparazzi?" the woman asked with evident worry expressed through her usually strict tone of voice.

"No, everything went well, I will tell you later." The girl decided to leave the prolonged conversation for later, when they would be able to talk over everything with settled feelings .

"Okay, then I will wait 'til later to congratulate you in person," Tsunade said and smiled slightly, a gesture that was complemented by the buoyant tone in her voice. After all, she felt extremely happy for Sakura, but even more so proud as a mother figure should be in moments such as this one.

Sakura smiled slightly in response, before speaking, "Sure thing, but I still can't believe that this is happening to me."

"If you believe me, I have a mayhem to deal with here at the office. People are going crazy, literally," Tsunade almost joked, but it was obvious that she was being particularly serious about it.

"I don't believe it," Sakura joked, before adding, "I think that I am about to come out of my own skin, " Her voice was slightly shaken, which was matched with the mix of emotions that suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Okay, try to calm down. I know that this is amazing news, but right now you have other things to concentrate on." Tsunade acted like a true manager most of the time, focusing on the girl's work agenda a bit too much, sometimes more than it was usually necessary.

"I know, you should really stop worrying," Sakura huffed in slight aggravation, already used to being constantly reminded of her packed up schedule.

"I have a call on the other line." Those words reminded Sakura that she was not the only one with loads of work on their back. There were many times she felt sorry for Tsunade, especially since the woman had gone through many sleepless nights for the sake of her career.

"Just go already, I know you're busy!" Sakura shouted in attempt to scold Tsunade.

"Fine, fine," she sounded especially weary, most probably because she did not want to take the call that was waiting for her. If she were to chose, she would rather speak with Sakura than with one of those business suckers. "I'll see you on Saturday," she added a second later.

"Okay, bye!" Sakura bid her goodbye, suddenly being reminded of the photo shoot that was planned for the following weekend.

"Bye, Sakura!" were Tsunade's last words before she hung up.

"So, what did she say?" Ino could not wait any longer, she just had to speak her thoughts out loud. It was enough of an anticipation to wait for Sakura to finish talking and she could no longer contain her curiosity.

"She confirmed it, I really am nominated," Sakura said with a huge smile spreading over her lips.

"Oh. My. God! These are the best news ever," Ino chirped excitedly and immediately jumped to envelop her best friend in a tight hug.

"I am so excited, it's so hard to believe it!" Sakura said, while returning the hug with the same intensity.

"I am really happy for you, Sakura-chan!" Hinata exclaimed, pure happiness dancing in her lavender pools. "Congratulations," she added a moment later when she also gave an especially warm hug to her friend. Tenten joined the action with that ever present smile on her face.

Then, she remembered that their group was not complete and lifted herself up on her tiptoes in attempt to spot them, but to no avail. Nonetheless, she turned toward the girls and spoke animatedly, "Wait 'til the guys hear about this. They'll flip!"

"Where are they, anyway?" Sakura asked in wonder, already attempting to spot them by using the same approach Tenten used a minute ago.

"I have no idea, they should have been here by now," Ino answered, all the while looking at her watch and realising that they were late for some reason.

"Oh, here they come." Hinata lifted herself up on her tiptoes and pointed at the direction where she spotted the guys. She was the first that had noticed them approaching from the distance, all the while taking note of Naruto's forlorn expression.

"What took you so long?" Tenten asked, as Neji came to stand beside her. He placed his hand on her lower back, as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Naruto had an accident in the showers," Shikamaru spoke lazily, not showing much care about the whole thing that happened. He wanted nothing else but some peace and quiet after all of the school activities that bored him out of his mind.

"He slipped on a shampoo bottle," Sai thought that a further explanation was needed, as always acting totally ignorant to everything that happened. Naruto did not want to be anymore embarrassed than he already was and the emotionless boy just ruined everything with his mouth. To make things worse for the blonde, Kiba started laughing so hard that it was probable that almost the whole school had heard him. He could not help himself after imagining Naruto spread out on the tiled floor.

Hinata instantly came by his side and looked at him with tender eyes. "Naruto-kun, are you okay?" she asked in a gentle tone.

"I'm okay, Hinata-chan," he replied, but blushed furiously, utterly embarrassed. '_This is so embarrassing!_' he thought and pouted cutely, while making a sad face. He felt completely uncomfortable after being so humiliated in front of the girl he had a serious crush on. However, the lavender eyed girl felt nothing of the sort. She was actually very worried for his well-being since the fall might have been much worse and have got him seriously hurt.

Afterward, his pink-haired friend came to stand right in front of him and placed her hand on his cheek in a loving way. "Naruto, be careful next time," she spoke in a motherly fashion, before changing her expression completely. "What were you thinking? You could have seriously hurt yourself!" she shouted harshly in a scolding manner. "I swear, if you don't stop acting like a fool, I will pummel you through the ground!" she finished with a threat that sounded quite serious, even though it came from someone as unmenacing as her .

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," he apologised and looked down in order to avoid her reprimanding stare.

"It's okay, just try to be more careful," she finally softened her tone of voice and lifted his chin to look at him. Her wide smile made him smile in response and after seeing his change of expression, she joked very quietly, "Hinata is really worried, you know." In addition, she winked at him in effort to make him realise the obvious, but it was a failed attempt.

Her words made him blush slightly, so he nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess she is," he chuckled uneasily.

Apparently the whole exchange was witnessed by the Uchiha, since he muttered under his breath, "Dobe."

"Ino, why are you so jumpy?" Chouji asked the blonde girl, while munching on some barbecue-flavoured chips. His favourite activity did not stop him from noticing that she looked much more happy than usual.

"Oh," she gasped and instantly proceeded with her excited chirping, "we have great news." The questioning look the guys shot her with, ushered her to elaborate further, but she did not feel like she was the one that was supposed to give them the news. So, she stood beside Sakura and playfully nudged her with her elbow, urging her to speak, "Actually, it's Sakura's news!"

Said girl felt a certain amount of self-consciousness envelop her. She could not stop the feeling, since it was the first time that something like this had happened to her. It was its huge importance that brought the heavy weight of uneasiness. She was silent for a long moment, her hands behind her back, expressing her nervousness.

"Well, what is it, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, unable to hold down his curiosity or suppress the sudden feeling of anticipation. He somehow felt that she had something very important to say.

"I am nominated for the Music Awards," she timidly spoke, a rose tinge of blush dusting her cheeks. She almost fidgeted in place, while staring at her friends waiting for their reaction.

Naruto looked dumbly at his friend, before realisation finally downed on him. All of a sudden he jumped to embrace her in a tight hug and in the process lifted her up in the air. She screeched in surprise, but he did not intend to let her go. He was just so happy for her, already aware how much it meant for her to be acknowledged by such important people from the music business. Noticing that he did not intend to set her down on her feet, Sakura smiled sweetly.

Sasuke was suddenly enveloped by that same burning feeling inside of him, but with much smaller intensity. He felt a bit jealous after witnessing the whole thing, even if it was Naruto the one that lifted her up. His feeling was mostly caused by the wish to be able to do the same without the wall that she had built between them.

"Dobe, let her go," he spoke coolly, trying to cover his true feelings.

After letting go of the girl, Naruto addressed her with an excited tone of voice, "Sakura-chan, this is really great news, I am so happy for you." A broad smile spread on his lips.

"Naruto, thanks and it really is something," she said in return to his friendly appreciation.

Afterward, everyone of her male friends congratulated her and Lee looked especially pleased for her success. She felt more able to accept the news, finally getting the right feelings coming back to her. They made her remember her dreams and that one in particular had just came true. It meant the world to her, and she felt so filled with excitement and joy that she could only think of celebrating. However, the joyful feelings left her the moment she noticed Sasuke propped up on his Ferrari, looking terribly aloof. She started to wonder why he had not said anything to her and distanced himself from everybody. She decided to approach him nonetheless, even if she was enveloped by a thick veil of hesitance.

In the meantime, the others decided to leave, feeling the not-so-small amount of tension in the air. They figured that it would be best if they left the both of them to talk alone without having to worry over anyone's unwanted presence. Ino and Tenten were the only ones that had difficulty leaving Sakura with Sasuke, but still decided to go, figuring that it is what their friend wanted since she was the one who had approached the stoic Uchiha.

Sakura leaned on the car, and looked at him worriedly. "Sasuke, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked with a tinge of softness in her tone.

"Hn," he stoically ignored her worried questions, but smirked in addition. His eyes were closed and Sakura could not decipher his reasons for his moody behaviour even if she tried to. She could feel the sudden tightness in her chest, an emotion that was brought on by his rejection. She could not understand why he was always so cold and distant, never allowing himself to open up in front of anybody.

Realising that she had made a huge mistake in trying to talk to him, she spoke almost inaudibly, "Okay, I will go then. Goodbye, Sasuke-kun." She took one step away from him, but the very next second he stopped her from walking away by taking her hand in his. When she turned to look at him, she noticed a very familiar look in his black eyes, something she used to witness quite frequently. It was the soft look he always gave her while they had still been together as a couple.

He leaned in and kissed her on her cheek, his lips lingering there for quite some time. He then pulled back and looked at her with an honest expression and a beautiful shine in his dark eyes.

"Congratulations," he whispered softly, before flashing a gentle smile only for her.

"What is this all of a sudden?" she asked, surprise written all over her face. She was taken aback by his gentle gesture, her mind barely processing the whole thing.

"Don't you remember?" he lifted his eyebrow in question, his smirk widening at the same time. He appeared highly amused by something. Seeing that she was cluelessly staring at him, he decided to remind her. "I promised I would congratulate you in a very special way when you reached this kind of success." Afterward, he looked her expectantly, as if waiting for her reaction.

She could not believe that he had remembered something that she thought was just a stupid joke on his side and a meaningless conversation. Never believing that he was serious about his promise was her mistake. But, what surprised her so pleasantly was the fact that he considered his gesture as something special. She thought that he couldn't be any kinder in his expression of feelings toward her. "Oh, I remember that promise," she gasped in utter embarrassment that she had forgotten all about it. However, she pushed that feeling away and lifted herself on her tiptoes in order to give him a hug. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun, you are really sweet," she whispered kindly, unable to suppress her delight.

"Hn, just don't call me _sweet_," he said, barely managing to say the word, with his eyebrows scrunched up in slight irritation. "I hate it," he added, being completely honest.

"Aww, Sasuke-kun," she cooed in a joking manner, which only served to bring a disgusted expression on his face. She laughed at his reaction, and tried to reassure him that she was just joking. "I won't, I promise," she said, but continued laughing.

"Annoying," he muttered under his breath, before smirking in amusement, unable to help himself after having seen her so happy and at ease.

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was a man that kept many things for himself, not wanting to let any of his family members know about his outdoor affairs. That rule was especially applied when Sasuke was concerned . His biggest secret was that he was a leader of an underground organization that completed special kind of tasks, some of them particularly dangerous. The good thing was that his team never did things that could be considered as criminal activities. On the contrary, they worked as undercover agents who dealt with the most dangerous of criminals in Japan.

Being the leader of that organization gave Itachi an incredible power. He had many connections that could do pretty much anything he wanted, so he choose to use them and help his little brother. Itachi contemplated over all the possibilities in order to successfully complete his new goal and in the process fulfil Sasuke's request. So, he made a decision that involved some of the members of his organization; not the most exceptional ones, but formidable people nonetheless.

At the moment he was seated in his office at the base of the organization with some of his men there, all of them ready for a brief meeting. They were all waiting for a certain redhead who was sent to execute the first part of their task. After a couple of minutes of silent waiting , the door swung open, revealing the man they were all waiting for.

"I don't like to wait or keep others waiting, so... lets make this short," Sasori spoke with a somewhat commanding tone, right after he had entered the meeting room. His comment was perceived with an indifferent set of reactions, with only one exception. After all, Deidara was famous for always having something to say, as his remarks only served to irritate and nothing else.

"You didn't seem to mind waiting for the Cherry Blossom, yeah," the blonde commented as a means to joke with the redhead, but he was doing it intentionally while not caring even in the slightest for the damage he was inflicting. Sasori was not a person that accepted jokes with an open mind, not even in the slightest.

Kisame was the only one that reacted, as he chuckled amusingly at Deidara's witty little remark. He always enjoyed watching the both quarrel, which in reality happened quite often.

"Deidara, shut your mouth." Sasori was occasionally far too irritated to even make an effort in forming a suitable comeback. He just shot the blabbermouth with a fierce look of warning, before turning his head in the opposite direction with the intention to ignore him.

However, Deidara was taking far too much pleasure in teasing Sasori, as he persistently proceeded with his mockery, "Ohh, touchy subject for you, yeah?" Afterward, he just grinned wickedly for emphasis, while being completely ignored by his favorite victim for playing games.

Itachi paid no attention to their small showdown and proceeded with what he considered to be the most crucial issue at the moment.

"The first part of our plan is already finished. Sasori's infiltration among the press was successful," he spoke with a steeled look in his eyes, while his facial expression concealed all traces of emotion. He then directed his full attention toward the papers on his desk.

"If you ask me I'd say that he did infiltrate... _successfully_!" The blonde was once again unable to stop himself from commenting, seeing that he had a perfect opportunity for that. Sasori only scowled in response.

"Deidara, I suggest you stopped this nonsense at once, so we could go on with the matter at hand." The only woman among the men decided to speak, mostly because she could not take anymore of his unnecessary observations. She was usually silent, rarely feeling the need to speak her mind, but that was only when she could actually contain her hidden temper.

Itachi choose to stay silent, since he always acted in a strictly overassertive manner, never ceasing to change his approach. His reputation of being always cool had to be maintained no matter what. However, the look in his eyes changed considerably as he glared at the papers he held in his fisted hand. He was practically burning the white sheets that were stuffed with information on the paparazzi, with how intense the look in his eyes was.

"Ryoga Takayama!" The Uchiha seethed the name through gritted teeth. Apparently, the type of information he just read was making his blood boil in anger for some reason. He spoke the name he had chosen as their target and he knew that everyone in the room was waiting for that decision.

"So, he's the one we're after?" Nagato asked in an almost polite manner. He always had an appearance of a well mannered person, even if in his career as an agent he did things that could be hardly considered as sophisticated.

"He is definitely the most suspicious among the lot," Itachi answered while gliding his eyes along the lines filled with information, before adding irately, "with the kind of background he has." He was very upset by the information he had just received as was quite obvious from the look on his face. The interesting thing was that he did not even try to conceal his anger.

"What sort of background?" asked the woman with much curiosity, while Yahiko stared at her with hidden admiration. She had quite an appearance with the blue colored hair and the labret piercing. Her attractive features made her a sight for sore eyes for any man, but Yahiko and Nagato were the only ones she allowed to get near her. However, Yahiko's feelings were very strong and could very easily be considered romantic, but he had chosen to stay silent about them.

"See for yourself," Itachi spoke and tossed the documents across the desk.

After reaching for the papers, she immediately proceeded to read the material. A minute later, she gasped in utter revulsion, "This is awful!"

Her reaction invited the attention from everyone in the room that was unfamiliar with their target, which of course excluded Itachi and Yahiko. After all, the auburn-haired man was the one that brought the information, being the one responsible for gathering intel on their targets. The other ones, however, seemed to be pretty curious about that man and silently asked for the document in order to read the contents.

"Yahiko, we only have a small amount of information from his past. I want you to dig up any activity he has partaken in, even if it is just an insignificant robbery," Itachi addressed the man he considered to be his right hand in command. The strong character was the greatest trait Yahiko possessed, but he was also a great leader. Maybe that was one of the reasons Konan and Nagato followed his every move with unfaltering loyalty.

"Okay, give me until tomorrow," he spoke. He expected the instruction, already being aware that the information was not that thorough. He always gave the most significant background information for the first assessment, being aware that it was Itachi's decision if they would need more information on the targeted man.

"Konan, Nagato, the both of you will follow Sakura wherever she goes. I want you to protect her if things go wrong. Yahiko can join you as of tomorrow!" Itachi gave that order with an exceptional forewarning, feeling responsible for Sakura's safety after finding out that the paparazo was a high-ranked criminal.

"Deidara, you will pose as a paparazzi, starting today," Itachi spoke, without looking at the blonde, who was standing in front of his desk. A minute later, after assessing some other important thing, he looked up and continued with his order. "I believe that you already know your role in this. This is all the info you'll need for now." He gave him a pretty large envelope that most probably contained a profile for a whole new identity.

"Nice, yeah!" The youngest among the lot was far too excited for his own good, which was not an unusual thing. He always acted that way when receiving a mission, enjoying every minute of the upcoming battle; he particularly enjoyed blowing up things, considering that as a work of art.

"Try to not blow the camera up!" Kisame mocked him aloud, being completely aware that whenever _his art_ was being ridiculed the blonde reacted in a particularly angry way.

Deidara was ready to bark a retort, but Itachi's voice interrupted him, so he just growled beneath his breath.

"Kisame, I trust you will do the task I appointed to you effortlessly." He shot him with a stern look as a means to give him a meaningful warning. After all, that particular task was the most crucial for the whole mission.

"Consider it done, Itachi-san." The tall brawny man nodded in respect. He partnered with the Uchiha on every mission they accomplished, so during the time they spent working together he started to feel immense admiration for him.

"We can't do anything in public, so we'll have to corner him somehow," Konan choose to speak, after a long moment of thought. She considered their possibilities and came to that conclusion.

"It will be a difficult task, since the only time he is dangerous for Haruno, he is with other paparazzi," Nagato mused aloud, with the intention of giving a fair warning.

"There is always a way!" Itachi announced with determination. "Find out all you can about him... where he lives, what kind of car he drives and most importantly, his whereabouts."

All six of them nodded in acceptance and perceived that statement as the final announcement of their meeting. They all had all sorts of tasks to finish, so they instantly turned to take their leave.

"Sasori!" Itachi called after the redhead, his voice edged with a meaningful harshness. "I should warn you about something..." He stared down at the young man with a fierce glare that was supposed to convey the unruly message, before adding , "Lay your hands off of Sakura." Everyone that witnessed the interview took note of the way Sasori interacted with Sakura. The real intention behind his behaviour certainly did not escape Itachi's eye.

"Is that a warning, Itachi?" he asked, slightly amused, not feeling threatened at all.

"It's more than a warning," the dark-haired man spoke nonchalantly, but with a noticeable glint of harshness in his eyes. It appeared that Sasori took the message, by the way his expression changed into one of disappointment. He then smiled sourly, and exited the room, following after the others that had already left.

"This should be amusing," Kisame smiled mischievously at Itachi, who was the only one still in the office with him. The Uchiha just smirked in response, already standing up to take his leave, because they had business to attend to.

* * *

Sakura was at her home, already ready and waiting for Sasuke to arrive. He was supposed to pick her up, as it was planned. She was really excited that Sasuke accepted to help her plan the surprise party for Naruto. It was giving her some hope that she might get used to the idea of being just friends with him. However, she did fear for her own feelings or that she would not be able to get him out of her heart. She was afraid of the possibility that her heart might be broken once again because of the unrequited feelings. Nevertheless, for now, she decided to let everything flow normally without her fearful thoughts getting in the way.

When she heard the doorbell, she stood up from the couch and excitedly walked toward the front door. After opening it, she smiled slightly since she was unable to hide her contentment. In spite of her cheerfulness, just by seeing him standing there at her doorstep, her thoughts were suddenly overwhelmed by old memories. She hoped that her face did not portray the feelings that were evoked by the images that flashed inside her mind.

"Hey," he said with a tinge of a smile spreading on his lips. That small gesture helped her get past the unpleasant feeling that was spreading throughout her whole being. She felt a bit more secure all of a sudden and she was especially thankful for it.

"Hey!" she greeted back with an almost shy smile spreading on her face. She did not know why the unexpected feeling of nervousness weighed down on her in his presence. Hating the feeling, she willingly tried to suppress it.

"Are you ready?" he asked nonchalantly, while eyeing her from head to toe. She was dressed casually in dark skinny jeans that reached just above her calves, white shirt with some black printed out patterns and a black leather jacket. However, her shoes were something special.

"Of course I am," she answered and shut the door behind her, but the unfamiliar look in Sasuke's dark eyes interrupted her from walking further.

"What?" she questioned quietly, looking at him in a calculative manner.

"Hn," was the only sound that came from him, which made her slightly irritated at his behaviour. She noticed that he was lost in his own thoughts while staring at her in a peculiar way.

"Why are you staring at me, Sasuke-kun?" The moment he cast a small glance at her feet, realization struck her, but she was surprised that he was actually expressing something. She started to ask herself if her shoe choice was okay, even if the design was the reason she bought them in the first place. The high-heeled _Louboutin_ shoes were black sling-backs with a squared bow right above the peep toe. The spikes that were embellished all over them is what gave a special edge to their design. Sakura even choose to colour her toes with red nail polish to complete the look.

"No reason," he simply stated, but continued to eye her with no shame at all. He liked it when she was as tall as him, because the way he saw it she looked even more alluring when her eyes were in his line of vision — he felt as if she was closer to him in a way. If he did not recall the promise she made him make, he would have kissed her right then and there.

"Is it because of my high-heels?" she asked with her jade eyes slightly widened in wonder. She was truly bemused by his stare.

He could not bring himself to speak the truth that he actually thought that her legs looked sexy in those high-heels, so he choose to stay silent and offer his smirk as response.

"You don't like them?" she continued her questioning, not expecting him to answer. She refused to decipher his reason for smirking, because of the intention he might hide behind it.

"Hn," he grunted, trying to sound indifferent. He really hated it when she was this stubborn and nowhere near intending to stop her imploring. Suddenly, he just turned to look away from her and just stood there like a statue on display.

"Well, I like them!" She huffed in an almost proud way, which was her indirect way of telling him that she did not care what he thought, before taking a step toward his car. Making a gesture with her eyes, she silently told him that she was waiting for him to open the door for her. He just chuckled in response out of amusement because of her behaviour. He stood very close to her and looked at her with a piercing stare while smirking sexily at the same time. She could feel her insides melt because of his purposeful provocation. He finally opened the door and she was able to snap out of her trance. His smirk widened, evoked by her actions.

He then entered the car and drove off, while Eiichiro was following behind them with the big SUV. As her bodyguard, he was not authorized to let her out of his sight. Nevertheless, she was allowed to live her life the way she wanted and was not obliged to drive in the same car as her protectors.

The two teenagers were enveloped by comfortable silence for a whole minute. Sakura did not mind it at all, being contented in the presence of the one person that meant so much to her, besides being the one that broke her heart. She was already past that and was now enjoying the time she spent with him, in the process being reminded of the past moments they shared together as friends along with Naruto. If their blonde friend was here with them, their group would have been complete. She smiled affectionately when she recalled all of the times the three of them would fool around doing nothing in particular. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost jumped in surprise when Sasuke spoke.

"What is your plan? Where will the party take place?" Sasuke couldn't contain his curiosity, so he decided to break the silence that started to progress between the two.

"Naruto's house. I already spoke to his mother and she was thrilled by the idea," she answered wholeheartedly out of sheer satisfaction with herself for a job well done. Besides, she was truly excited that Kushina gave her the approval to organize the party at their home.

Sasuke chuckled in enjoyment at her answer, since he had not expected it. Afterward, he spoke while giving her a sideways glance, "Okay, I trust you've already planned every detail." The look in his eyes indicated that he already knew what she was thinking before even saying anything . He smirked after recalling every other time she acted like this over some incredibly exclusive idea — she had the tendency to plan major things and never found any of the tasks hardly achievable.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed hastily, before continuing, "the whole concept is in my head, but I really need the help from a party planner." She was giving much thought about the whole idea for the past week and she realised that she could never organize a huge party all by herself. Without noticing his amused smirk, she proceeded to muse aloud.

"I haven't decided on the music choice and if it would be a good idea to hire a DJ," she pouted cutely in thought for a short moment, "so, I was hoping that you will help me with that." It was then that she finally looked at him with that pleading spark shining in her eyes. It was a look that he could never possibly ignore.

Whenever he would witness such a soft shine in her jade eyes, he would feel incredibly powerless in front of her. Her expressive eyes were his weak spot and he could never find a possible way to escape from it. He needed a few seconds to snap out of his thoughtful trance and willed himself to be as nonchalant as possible in his answer.

"I think that hiring a DJ would be a great idea, since I already know that you plan a huge party," he succeeded to speak in an almost calm manner, but it was just a desperate attempt to cover up his true feelings. At the moment he felt incredibly nervous in her presence, for some unknown reason. He just knew that just by looking at him she managed to awaken the feelings that he believed he had buried in the past.

"Oh, you know me so well, Sasuke-kun," she joked in response, before releasing a sweet giggle.

"Hn," he finally relaxed and smirked in reaction to her antics, before giving her the response she hoped to hear, "As for the music, we can work on a list of songs together," he finished talking, but did not expect her reaction even in the slightest.

"That sounds awesome!" she chirped excitedly. She was taken aback by his response that was not just a simple agreement. By giving a suggestion of his own that involved spending more time with her he made her confident about the development of their relationship as friends. "We should also think of a way to distract him for the whole day," she added a few seconds later.

"I'll take care of that, so don't worry," he said to her, not having a reason to mind spending time with Naruto in order to successfully surprise him. Even Sasuke wanted to do something that would undoubtedly make his best friend happy.

"Thank you." After whispering her gratitude, she looked at him with a very gentle look in her jade eyes.

"What for?" he simply asked.

"For helping me." She smiled pleasantly, while never averting her eyes from him.

He finally turned his head to look at her, before speaking, "Don't forget that the dobe is my best friend, even if he tends to piss me off sometimes." A flicker of a smile was barely visible on his lips, making Sakura wonder if it was only her imagination.

"Yeah, how could I forget?" she sarcastically spoke. Afterward, when they looked in each others eyes, she smiled affectionately at him, a gesture he returned with a small smile. The action made her insides flutter in nervousness, for she was especially pleased that he enjoyed this as much as she did. Actually, she admitted to herself that she hadn't felt so at ease in months.

The next couple of hours they were forming the details of the party with the help of a professional party planner. The woman, who was apparently very good at doing her job, was recommended by Tsunade. Sakura felt thankful after noticing that the woman had a visionary's talent for organizing celebrations. After the meeting finished, she just knew that it would be the best party ever, seeing how things went along.

They exited the office that was located in a huge store that was also owned by the woman; she also had a business of selling things that were needed for any sort of celebration. Feeling very excited with the accomplishment, Sakura was very slow to notice that there was a number of paparazzi waiting for her outside, but thankfully Sasuke did. He realised that the ones that called the paparazzi must have been some of the people that saw Sakura enter the store. The raven-haired boy asked himself why would anyone want to do such a thing and with what goal in mind. Nevertheless, he willed himself to react fast and try to take them to his car as fast as possible. He also noted that Eiichiro was already aware of the situation and ready to take action if needed.

The moment he and Sakura stepped in front of their line of vision, a chaos started to form with the sheer number of cameras that flashed right at their faces. It didn't take Sasuke long to stand very close to Sakura, positioning his body as a shield from any harm. Eiichiro was instantly on the other side of her, also guarding her from the paparazzi.

The privacy intruders already started asking their questions which were meant to provoke a scene.

"Sakura, who's your friend?" one asked, and his voice was so sickeningly detached of any emotion, as it was apparent that he had no feelings concerning what was happening whatsoever. That had to be the reason why he was capable of doing such a heartless thing as trespassing into someone's privacy.

"Is he your boyfriend?" another asked, as he approached far too close for her liking with a very fast movement. Everybody noticed the frightened look in her eyes the moment his camera flashed in her eyes. If it weren't for Eiichiro's fast reaction, Sasuke would have definitely done something to make the idiot regret taking a step closer and frightening her in the process.

Sasuke and Eiichiro were extremely worried for the pink-haired girl by that point. Thankfully, the well-built bodyguard did his job in protecting her by stepping in between the paparazzo and Sakura, — he was ready to push him aside violently if it was necessary — while Sasuke tried his best to calm her down.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with him!" Sasuke barely contained his temper, which was already on a short leash because of their presence. He could not stand them, but he was enduring the temptation to send them all to hell and back, for the sake of the girl beside him. It was very obvious to him that she was scared, especially since the bastard that almost brought her a death sentence was there among the mass of flashing photographers. Still, for some reason he was taking his distance and kept his mouth shut, a fact that pleased the Uchiha tremendously.

"Are you cheating on Takeshi with him?" another question was thrown at Sakura, as it made her flinch visibly; it seemed that she was disturbed by such a suggestion. Sasuke could not contain the intimidating growl that left his lips, getting particularly angry after the mention of that bastard. However, Sakura asked for his utmost attention with the way she shook in apparent fear. He noted that she was still having some difficulty dealing with her own distress.

"Where are your other _friends_?" one of the paparazzi spoke, intentionally pronouncing the suggestive meaning behind his question. His attempts in receiving some interesting material were ruined since he was being ignored to the maximum.

Sasuke gently took Sakura's hand in his, bringing her closer to himself in utter need to calm her even if it had a small effect on her. Feeling her form, clearly shook-up, made his insides grew cold. Just by feeling how tenderly he intertwined their fingers, Sakura was instantly able to feel soothed, which also managed to warm him up.

"Calm down," he spoke tenderly at her ear, but he felt her shiver slightly in response. He placed his hand on her waist in attempt to give her the reassurance that she wasn't alone, before whispering softly in order to relieve her from the stress, "I'm here."

The moment his voice reached her, everything seemed to shrink around her, as if nothing was there anymore to make her distraught. She felt the shattering feeling suddenly and completely disappear from her system. She exhaled deeply and leaned on him, feeling utterly at ease having him beside her. Somehow he had that wonderfully comforting effect on her, so she finally let herself drift into a state of serenity without paying attention to what went on around her.

In the meantime Eiichiro did not allow any of the men to approach Sakura for even a second. He was constantly shielding her and it seemed that his strong posture gave them a bit of a fright. They were still asking questions, but intentionally holding their distance.

Sasuke managed to get her into his Ferrari and while walking toward the passenger side of the car he completely ignored the persistent paparazzi and their annoying questions. Eiichiro, seeing that Sakura was safe, followed after him and got in the big SUV. A moment later both cars drove off, leaving traces of tires on the asphalt caused by the speed they used to start the engines.

As Sakura watched the objects and people pass in a fast pace through the car window, a strange feeling enveloped her. The strong sensations gripped her heart and made her insides melt. She knew the feeling of love, but this was somehow stronger, much more passionate and expressive. Realising that it was all because of Sasuke and the sudden affectionate gestures he displayed toward her, she could not deny it any longer. Her love was way too deep to ever be erased or ignored.

As she stared at him with too much feeling expressed in her jade eyes, he turned to look at her. It might have been a small glance, but the tenderness his eyes displayed only for her, gave her new hopes she had never anticipated. She finally found what she had been searching for the past couple of months. The feelings he stirred in her always brought the most wonderful inspiration within her. In that instant she knew that she found it in him.

No words were exchanged between the both of them until they reached her house. He was first to exit the car and went to open the door for her. After leaving the car, she did not take a single step to leave his side. While she stood there, he stared at her with that same tender look in his eyes.

"Will, you be okay?" he asked in a hushed tone, his deep voice ringing in her ears. She just smiled warmly and took his hand in her smaller one and squeezed it tenderly, which made his skin tingle with a familiar sensation.

"Sasuke-kun, thank you..." she trailed off, meaning to speak further, but caught herself before she could reveal more of what she always kept secret from him. Instead, she slowly released his hand and took a step away from him. '_F__or being my inspiration._' with that thought floating through her mind, she walked toward the entrance of her home. Before completely removing herself from his sight she turned to give him a small bright smile, which awoke some unexpected feelings within him.

* * *

The following Thursday, what happened at the lunch break seemed to amuse the whole gang, apart from the totally oblivious Sakura and Sasuke. The way they interacted the whole time, apparently paying attention only to each other , made everyone else wonder what had changed between the two.

At the moment, Sakura was cheerfully talking to him, and he didn't even attempt to act cool about it, he was actually quite enjoying it. He was listening intently to what she had to say, even responding now and then, which, not at all strangely, made her even more giddy. They were so enveloped in their own world, not noticing the silence around them or even the looks they received.

"What the hell are they doing?" Kiba's pretty loud way of asking did nothing to affect them, but caught the attention of his other friends.

"This is just so strange," Naruto said in response, without taking his eyes off his two friends. He was tilting his head in utter curiosity, as if trying to figure out what was happening, or better said, what had happened between them to make them so comfortable with each other.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that they were back together," Sai commented with no emotion on his face. However it was quite clear that he was trying to evaluate the situation by staring intently .

Sakura and Sasuke never realized that they looked like a couple exchanging such hidden affections. They were very comfortable in each other's presence , exactly because they used to be involved in a romantic relationship and now their friendship was more intense on a different level.

What happened next, made everybody and surprisingly even the stoic Neji gaping at them.

Sakura reached out to wipe a small tomato stain off of Sasuke's lips, acting as if it was the most normal thing to do. Their friends could not miss the small gesture she did when she licked it off of her finger as well, at which Sasuke didn't even blink as a reaction. After staring at each other for a short while, they abruptly turned at the exactly same time. Reaching to take the cans of iced tea that were placed in front of them, followed by the opening sound that was heard at the same second, they took a sip and left the cans on the table with what looked like a mimicked movement. They did the whole thing, without even noticing the real meaning behind that action. It looked exactly as if they mirrored their movements, which made the whole situation even more bizarre.

"This is not happening for real, is it?" Ino spoke in complete disbelief, finally being able to form her thoughts into a coherent sentence. Being completely aware of how two people in love would act when in close proximity to one another, she was literally struck by the whole thing. What surprised her most was that Sasuke looked exactly as if he were in love with Sakura. However, she could not be convinced just by one sheer moment of proof. Everything she just witnessed disturbed her for a reason, which was heavily written all over her beautiful face.

"I can not believe it either," Tenten whispered softly, almost hesitant to say it. She was obviously sharing the same feelings as her blonde friend, noticed by the look she exchanged with her. Their feelings were somewhat justified and they were mostly concerned for their friend, who already had her heart broken because of Sasuke.

The only girl that had a dreamy look in her eyes, while looking at the pink-haired girl and the Uchiha, was Hinata. She, on the contrary, was quite positive about the outcome of the new development, which was also exactly how Naruto felt, his thoughts obvious by the look in his eyes. He was even planning to make everything right between Sasuke and Sakura, no matter what, only he still did not know how to accomplish that. While thinking about it, he realized that there was an unbearable silence settling among the group that was too aggravating for his liking.

All of a sudden, the blonde loud-mouth decided to try and divert the attention from his two friends, since the uneasy atmosphere was disturbing him. "Hey, guys, are you up for clubbing this Saturday?" he asked, with notable eagerness in his voice. He hoped that his intentions would go unnoticed, but he had captured Sasuke's and Sakura's interest.

"What do you have in mind?" Kiba asked, sounding not too expectant. He was willing to hear what Naruto had in mind, then evaluate the idea and finally accept it, only if it satisfied his wishes. There were times, which happened most of the time, when he felt as if he was the only one in the gang capable of choosing the best place for a night out.

"We can go to Icha Icha Paradise!" He wiggled his eyebrows while saying his suggestion out loud with a noticeable glint in his eyes.

"I'm totally up for that idea!" Kiba shouted enthusiastically, knowing what kind of club Naruto's perverted godfather owned. It was just too good to be true and he expected to meet many hot girls there.

"I don't really care where we go, as long as there are girls there," Sai added his comment, feeling the necessity to do so.

"My manager knows the owner," Sakura finally averted her attention to someone other than Sasuke, by looking at Naruto with a knowing look. "Could Jiraiya, by any chance, be the owner of that club?" she asked, already recalling the conversation when Tsunade mentioned that she was a friend of his.

"I don't like the sound of that," Ino said, sharing a knowing look with the other girls.

"I have the same feeling, Ino." Tenten agreed with the blonde girl, recalling the perverted man's behavior, and especially his taste. However, their curiosity won over in the end and they accepted to go to the club at least once and see what had been done to the place. After all, Jiraiya had an _exceptional_ taste, mostly in a negative sense.

It was not surprising that all of Naruto's friends had already met his godfather since he was a person that wanted to hang around young people. He would gladly accept any chance to converse with the teens and preferably use the opportunity to give them advices about the opposite sex. Most of the guys liked him, except for the Uchiha and the Hyuga, since his way of talking annoyed them almost every time they were in his presence. Unlike them, Kiba was the most enthusiastic one to hear what Jiraiya had to say.

"Yes, he is," Naruto answered nonchalantly, but his face spoke of his sudden curiosity in relation to Sakura's question. "Why do you ask?" he finally added, after deciding not to bother himself with the insignificant thoughts on the matter.

"Well, Tsunade once suggested that we visit the club, but I totally forgot about it," she answered with no expression on her face, as she focused her attention on the meal in front of her.

"Oh, and is your manager like his girlfriend or something?" Kiba worded out the question Naruto wanted to ask, but in a particularly teasing way. He was thinking about the huge chest of the older woman and how she must be the type of women the perverted Jiraiya would prefer.

"I don't think so, but I really have no idea," she said thoughtfully. She was trying to think of something that Tsunade said and might have indicated what sort of relationship she shared with Naruto's godfather. Her best guess was that they were just acquaintances or maybe friends, if they shared any sort of a close relationship at all.

"I bet they are more than friends, what with the size of her breasts," Kiba was not paying any heed to his own words, not minding the girls present. He was always one to speak his mind openly, without caring what the others thought. However, the girls shot him ferocious looks, feeling totally offended, being female; he really acted as if had no respect for women.

"Hey, don't talk about her that way!" Sakura snapped at him, feeling a need to defend the woman that was like a second mother to her.

"What? It's the truth," he simply added, while giving her a look that was supposed to state an obvious fact.

"Whatever, just keep your thoughts to yourself next time," she said in quite the normal tone. After all, she figured it would be best if she never took Kiba's words as foul since she knew he meant no harm by saying them; it was just the way he was.

"Your wish is my command, princess," the tone of his voice had a sarcastic undertone, but nevertheless he smiled at her, before taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

Sakura couldn't believe how stupidly he sometimes behaved and just rolled her eyes at his dim-witted antics.

Afterwards, they all fell in a comfortable friendly interaction, most probably leading an unimportant conversation, which seemed quite exciting to them. Sakura and Sasuke, most of the time, were engaged in their own little world while making plans for Naruto's birthday party. They had no other time for having that sort of conversation due to Sakura's packed up schedule, so they had to manage right then and there. Since it was supposed to be done in absolute secrecy, their interaction appeared to be very intimate.

The admired looks Sakura received from Sasuke, the whole time she was in his presence, were angering his fan club even more. They could not believe how _she_ of all people could get that kind of attention from the handsome Uchiha, because to them she was definitely not worthy of his attentions. The one that was especially angered and seething with pure jealousy was already shooting daggers at Sakura's back.

Karin was watching every little interaction between Sasuke and Sakura with a scrunched up face that portrayed her inner rage. She desperately wanted everything that Sakura had, most of all Sasuke's love and devotion. The hours Karin spent daydreaming about _her_ Sasuke and the affections he _showed_ her in those dreams could not just go to waste; she wanted all of it to be real and she was definitely willing to do anything to make it so.

It was then that Karin made a final decision considering Sakura and her spotless reputation in the press. Apparently, what she witnessed a minute ago made her temper explode and she was very determined to ruin Sakura Haruno.

* * *

The red-head girl decided to wait until she could distance herself enough, and in the process make sure that no one could possibly hear her, in order to accomplish her plans. She was determined to ruin the career of the girl that undoubtedly captured the heart of the one guy she harboured strong feelings for. Those feelings did not allow her to give Sasuke up, especially not to someone like Sakura.

She grasped the red device in her hands and typed in the number that was written on the small card that was given to her by that scary looking paparazzo. She waited only a few seconds before a man's voice was heard on the other line, a voice that sounded incredibly hoarse.

"Hello."

"Ryoga Takayama?" she asked in a weak voice, a result of her hesitance. She started to feel terribly bad for acting like a mean person, when in reality she never did anything of the sort.

"Yes?" his creepy thin voice made her hesitate yet again, but she intentionally dismissed that feeling after a few seconds of thought. She felt ready to do the unforgivable deed and spoke before loosing all the courage she had managed to build up during the past couple of hours.

"I have information about Sakura Haruno." The hastiness in her manner of speaking gave off her nervousness at the cruelty of the action she had decided to do. Considering doing something of the sort was not the only thing that bothered her. The unpleasant feeling was what made her realise the severity of her decision. In addition to being completely aware that it was very wrong, she believed that she was not to be blamed at all, since she was only being lead by the very honest feelings she had for Sasuke. After all, there had to be a reason why people believed that a woman was ready to do anything for love.

"Oh? Is that right?" he inquired with, not intending to hide his immoral thoughts as they became quite clear in the tone of his voice. "You have my utmost attention, then."

Karin needed a moment to speak, since her mind was suddenly plagued by an unpleasant thought. She realised that he did not remember her. She started to wonder whether he was so determined to ruin Sakura as to not remember everybody he had asked for help. It scared her to even consider the things he was capable of.

"Well, what do you have, girlie?" he ushered her to answer, since she had been silent for almost a whole minute .

Deciding to dismiss her thoughts, she finally spoke, "I know where she'll be this Saturday night."

* * *

That Thursday afternoon, Sakura had a date arranged with Takeshi. At least, he thought of it as some sort of a date, when in reality it was a meeting to discuss their collaboration. The teen star had just finished her daily rehearsal with the dance crew and was exceptionally tired, but still accepted his offer since she didn't have time for him any other day.

She arrived at their meeting place with Eiichiro and the rest of the men that were constantly by her side. Even when she exited the SUV, the muscled man followed her every step. Takeshi was with his Maserati and he parked it right in front of the famous café, completely irresponsibly, being an exception to the rule. He did not have to worry about the fact that parking a car at that exact spot was forbidden — he was privileged and had a special permission from the owner of the café.

As he walked towards Sakura in order to greet her, he exuded such utter conceit that his ego was noticeable form afar. Sakura did not pay attention to it, but nonetheless greeted him with her usual polite smile. Ever since the dinner when they signed the deal, she started forming a much better opinion of him. His constant calls apparently served their purpose — he had really managed to get under her skin.

However, she was not the only one harbouring positive feelings for the other. Takeshi started changing his attitude toward her, his initial plans with her were now almost erased from his mind. They would have been completely gone, had he actually found the strength to push his ego aside and finally allow himself to genuinely care about someone else other than himself.

The instant he reached her, he leaned in to greet her with a kiss on the cheek, feeling that the gesture would appeal to her immensely. He was not far from the truth, but Sakura accepted it as a friendly greeting and nothing else. Moreover, he wanted to do it to get closer to her by all means possible. His wish to make her his girlfriend grew by the day, especially in the moments he had the chance to talk to her. The feelings he started to develop for her were becoming more sincere than he initially thought.

He eyed her up and down, noting that she had quite a unique sense of style. She was dressed in dark jeans, bright yellow tank top with a bright blue cardigan on top that reached her mid-thigh. There was a very thin yellow belt on her waist, and she had the sleeves of the cardigan tucked up to her elbows. She wore _Versace_ shoes on her feet that were paired up with the whole outfit exceptionally well, with the edgy colors making them quite eye catching. Her bag was mostly made out of patent leather, but on the sides it had some material that matched well with her blouse and cardigan. To top that look, she wore two necklaces that were made out of thin chains and some very small pendants.

"Hey there, beautiful," he spoke, using the tone of voice he believed was charming to any girl. And it worked, even on Sakura. She was really fond of his voice, not just because he sounded so wonderful when singing, but she also enjoyed listening to him when he talked.

"Hey, Takeshi," she answered, before politely asking, "How are you?"

"I'm great now that I have you by my side," his attempt to flirt casually was awarded by a small smile from her. He then suggested, "Let's go, I reserved a great table for us inside."

"No, please, let's just sit outside. I could really use some air," she said in an almost pleading way, something that he, surprisingly, caught on instantly.

"Why? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, even sounding a bit worried, being surprised by that rare feeling evoked in him by people other than himself.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but I feel very tired," she honestly confessed, as he placed his hand on her lower back.

"I know the feeling. It'll pass, don't worry," he attempted to comfort her, as he led her toward the small entrance of the café.

She smiled slightly at his comforting words and added softly, "Thank you, Takeshi. I am glad you understand."

When inside, they were instantly recognized by the man assigned to welcome the guests and present them to an available table. He approached them in a very polite way, "Welcome to Hanabira*! We have a table ready for you." (**A/N:** *flower petal)

"Actually, we would like to sit outside, on the terrace." Takeshi used a commanding tone, which was his usual behavior when talking to people he considered beneath him.

"Of course, Yuroichi-san." the man bowed in respect and turned to lead them toward the best table on the terrace, one in a secluded area. The place was decorated with so many flowers, each with petals in different colors, and something clearly hinting at the name of the café.

After they were seated in the chairs at their table, Takeshi immediately spoke to her, "Congratulations on your nominations, Sakura!"

She nodded with her head, her smile expressing her friendly appreciation for his thoughtfulness, before returning the gesture with her words, "Congratulations to you, also! You've nailed five this year." Sakura was referring to his three nominations from last year, all the while indicating that he must be very satisfied this time.

"Thank you, but having you as competition, I wouldn't count on wining," he said in a nonchalant way as if not caring about the awards, but internally he was not that happy with the fact.

"I should be the one to say that, you have much better chances than I do." She was being honest, her thoughts led by the minute possibilities of her actually winning any award. Well, she figured that she might win the _Best New Act_ Award, but the competition was more than tight even in that category. She allowed herself no hopes for the other categories, especially the ones where she was nominated alongside him.

He chose not to comment on that thought, not wanting to agree with her and thus seem selfish. Sometimes, even he knew that he was acting a bit too conceited than necessary, but it could not be helped since it was part of his personality. Instead, he decided to skip to a different topic.

"I have something that might cheer you up a bit," he said, wishing for her to be pleasantly surprised. Then, he added in a joking tone, "at least, I hope it will." He slid a folded piece of paper along the table in order to make her see the contents.

"What is it?" She looked at him questioningly, at which he just smiled in return and ushered her to open the sheet of paper with a nod.

She started to skim over the written words and realisation downed on her. "Oh. My. God! I can not believe it!" she screeched in utter delight.

"The music is still not completely finished. There are some parts of it that need to be worked on, and I am planning to do that with the help of my producer," Takeshi explained, feeling the need to do so.

Sakura was totally blown off, not expecting him to write a song for them to sing together. She read the words he wrote for her to sing and she instantly loved them, and all she could do was compliment his work. "Well, the lyrics are certainly amazing!"

"I am so relieved that you like them." It was a rare thing for him to be truly honest about his feelings, but he really wanted to get that out of his chest.

"Why do you say that? Of course I would love them!" She was also being honest with him, already having a certain respect developed for his talent for writing songs.

"I thought that it might be too much unlike your own style." He truly feared she might not agree to sing the lyrics, that she would think them far too bold. After all, she never sang something that had double meaning and had sexual reference.

"Your lyrics are different from what I usually sing, but it fits _your_ style, so I have no problem with that." She really did agree to singing those lyrics, but she also made a mental note to speak with Tsunade first and make sure the record company wouldn't have anything against her singing the song. However, the matter needed no immediate attention. After all, the whole thing was planned for December.

"Okay, I am glad you think so." He smiled after saying that, but suddenly remembered to ask her something, "But, what about you? Have you finished your song?" He felt compelled to ask her, after her complaints on the phone over her lack of inspiration.

"Almost, I brought the lyrics though. I was working on them these past couple of days, but I am still not completely satisfied." Her being nervous about the whole thing made her speak more hastily than usual. She reached in her bag and took out a small notebook and after opening to the right pages, she gave it to him.

He took some time to read her work and then spoke reassuringly, "The way I see it, it sounds perfect!" He looked at her in a serious way, displaying his satisfaction with the lyrics.

She reached to point at something in the notebook and tried to explain it to him, "Look at this part, I feel like it's not exactly what I want to say." She huffed, irritated with herself and her too demanding brain.

"Why don't you try talking about it? You might figure out what you want to say. That usually helps me." His attempt to give her advice urged her to express her thoughts about the thing that bothered her most.

"I don't know, I want to say that it feels like I am suffocating without _his_ love, but the word is just so... unappealing! I need something better, something like... it's hard to breathe if _he_ is not by my side..." she trailed off. She expressed her thoughts hastily, all the while not noticing that she sounded as if she were speaking of a real person. Hearing her speak in such an intense way of another guy took Takeshi by surprise.

After the short moment of spacing out, she suddenly screamed in satisfaction, "Oh my god! No breathing... No air!" The words she said were exactly what she had needed to perfect the lyrics, even though she was aware that she would have to make some huge changes after this new idea. "I got it!" As she said those three words in an almost triumphant way, she smiled in satisfaction.

"You see, it worked out!" He gave her a smile in return, feeling satisfied that he actually helped her. The feeling was completely unfamiliar, but he realized that it was a very pleasant emotion.

She smiled thankfully at him and reached to take his hand in hers. "Oh, thank you, Takeshi. You really are amazing!" She squeezed gently and he decided that this was the right moment to ask her the question he'd been meaning to ask her ever since they sat down. Suddenly, he felt much closer to her.

"Sakura, I wanted to ask you something..." The look in his eyes was surprisingly softened and he blamed her appealing characteristics for this sudden change of emotions.

"Yes?" She nodded, urging him to continue. But, before he had the chance to speak she noticed a sudden movement in the distance. After realising what it was, she asked absolutely horrified, "Are those paparazzi in the bushes?"

Takeshi had to turn around in order to look in the direction she was staring at. He noticed that three men were flashing their cameras at them and cursed them for their stupidity. He did not tell them to come there to take pictures of him and Sakura and make themselves known so easily.

"Yes, I wonder how they found us," he lied and turned to look at her, hoping that she wouldn't mind their presence, but to no avail.

She was really disturbed and instantly stood up. "Takeshi, I am really sorry, but I have to go." Her voice was almost weak and the look in her eyes wasn't nearly as pleasant as before. It appeared that she was still affected by the incident with the paparazzo.

"No, please, stay," he tried to make her stay by pleading in a desperate way.

"I really can't. I am so sorry, I will call you tomorrow," she apologized, clearly anxious about the whole unpleasant thing. She already had her bag in her hands and took a step to walk away. "Bye!" She waved in goodbye and left the café in haste.

"Bye," he whispered to himself as he watched her leave. At that moment he regretted his stupid decision to call the paparazzi to get publicity, not liking having lost his chance to ask her out.

* * *

It was one in the morning, the streets of Tokyo were almost deserted, the street lights glowing strongly in the darkness. However, some secluded areas in the city made everything feel eerie even without the darkness, easily terrifying just about anyone. That was not the case with Itachi and his gang, who were working on a very important part of their plan, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. They were currently divided into teams, all of them dispersed throughout the city.

Itachi was once again partnered with Kisame and they were situated in a car near the apartment that was owned by Ryoga Takayama — but under a different name. The task Kisame was appointed to do was already accomplished, but he had no luck in finding anything that could be of actual importance to them. Breaking into the apartment was fairly easy for the experienced man, having dealt with much more difficult assignments in the past. The worst thing was that the place looked exactly as if it had been deserted a long time ago, a fact that clashed with the information Yahiko had obtained. It was, however, not their first time to witness something of the sort; there were many criminals that lived under the same conditions in hope that they wouldn't be found or targeted. Itachi and Kisame already assessed the situation and were sure that he had only recently left the apartment and it was expected that he would eventually show up.

Konan, Nagato and Yahiko had just arrived in front of a bar that was visited by many small criminals, one of the regulars being Ryoga. They had just finished their turn guarding Sakura, who was now safely sleeping at her home, after a whole day of work filled agenda.

Nagato, with his exceptional eyesight, instantly spotted the vehicle that was owned by their target. "His van is parked in front of _Raito_*!" he exclaimed, while pressing a button at the small device that was placed in his ear. He wanted the message to reach everyone's ears. (**A/N:** *Light)

Itachi was the first to speak, with a strong commanding voice, "Do not enter the bar, we'll wait until he shows his face!" He wanted to take no risks in regards with this mission, but above all he wanted it executed in complete secrecy. That place was just too grotesque for their style and filled with people that did low class activities. Their stealthy ways of dealing with things was like a trademark they were known for, and he didn't intend to sully their reputation. Also, they were not sure that Ryoga was there and they could not afford to let him get away. So, there they were, still waiting at different places, all of them regularly visited by the awful man.

"Right, we are ready and waiting!" Nagato said in response.

"Alright, just give us the sign and we'll be there!" Sasori spoke through his device, announcing that he and Deidara were also ready and waiting for any command.

A few minutes later, a man that fitted the description exited the dreadful place that was used for many illegal activities. Its name was the complete opposite of what it represented, especially given it's location. The bar was situated in an alley that looked dreadful, with all the filth dispersed on the asphalt and the stench coming from just about everywhere.

"Itachi, the target just exited the bar!" Konan's voice was a bit higher than usual, given that it was the moment they had all been waiting for.

Those words made all of them prepare for the next move, going through the already planned strategy in their minds. Their intention was to chase him down, capture him and make him talk.

Itachi started the car, already feeling the fury racing through his veins. The angry glint in his eyes indicated that he was prepared to destroy the man that almost got Sukura killed. He cared for her as a big brother would and he was ready to do anything to protect her.

"You seem awfully riled up!" Kisame chuckled in utter amusement, but he meant it in a good-natured way.

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted, while speeding off into the distance. The sound the engine created was exactly like air being compressed and then instantly being released with a mind-blowing noise. The Audi RS5 was a machine that was worth every praise, and it had served them well in many missions.

Sasori was behind the wheel of another Audi RS5, while Deidara was seated in the passenger seat, but they had been quarrelling over some insignificant thing or other. The second they heard Konan's voice, they both forgot their ranting and Sasori instantly started the engine. He was already too irritated, so this whole thing was more than welcomed to him, while Deidara practically fidgeted with pure excitement.

The blue-haired girl was ready and waiting for the van to move, the engine of her car already roaring to life. Her foot was placed over the gas pedal and the moment the van drove off, she pressed on it and was instantly in a state of complete control of her own actions. She expected to get noticed, intentionally making herself visible. She counted on receiving a certain advantage in the situation, expecting the man to panic once he realised he was being followed.

Pure adrenaline was taking control of Itachi's senses as he gripped the steering wheel and drifted through the crossroads, tires screeching loudly as they left black imprints on the asphalt beneath. He had no intention of letting the bastard get away, when they had the perfect chance to corner him without anyone witnessing their actions.

The atmosphere was tense, as the three cars speed through the almost empty streets of Tokyo. It was unbelievable how they manoeuvred the fast machines so effortlessly, all the while displaying such incredible control, even at such high speed.

Konan was right behind the van, ready to push the driver into a state where he wouldn't be able to decide which road to take. He was practically being led into the trap they set for him, and outmanoeuvred by a girl nonetheless. She was constantly informing the other two of the situation, through the devices they used for communicating.

The navigation device installed in their cars was giving them all the needed information in order to follow Konan's movements throughout the city. They had to reach her position and corner their target simultaneously.

When Itachi and Sasori ultimately joined the more exciting chase, Konan screamed, "Finally!" with a small tinge of eagerness evident in her tone of voice.

"Now, this is exciting!" Yahiko commented from the sidelines, already knowing where their game would take them.

"Konan, corner him from the right, yeah!" Deidara spoke, making the girl angry to the maximum with his attempt to guide her.

"Deidara, shut your mouth!" she seethed through clenched teeth, concentrating on taking a swift turn to push the van toward the edge of the road. "Let me do the driving!" Her hand was gliding along the steering wheel, as she distanced herself for a few seconds only to slam right into the left side of the big vehicle.

"Nice one, Konan!" Yahiko said admiring her driving skills, feeling no stress from the previous collision.

It took them a few more attempts, especially on Itachi's side in order to lead him toward a dead end. He was trapped in a alley that had only one exit and it was blocked by them. All seven of them instantly exited the sleek limousines, but Itachi was the fastest to reach him, feeling more eager than the others to capture the guy.

However, the moment he got him out of the van and squeezed his throat in a tight grip, he realized something. The man in front of him was definitely not the one they were after. He was not Ryoga Takayama, even though he had similar appearance.

"Who are you?" Itachi shouted angrily and after receiving no response in return, he literally growled his next word, "Speak!" His eyes held a vicious and threatening glare. The men covered in fear, already sweating in uneasiness, especially after Itachi tightened his hold on him.

Konan, after noticing the deadly aura that came from Itachi and the affect it had on the man, she choose to speak with an exceptionally sweet voice, derision dripping in every word she uttered, "Itachi, you are _scaring_ the shit out of him. Let me talk to him."

Itachi immediately gave her the chance to release some anger on the man, already knowing her ways of interrogating.

The instant she stood in front of him, she gripped him by his throat and clenched her fingers in a ferocious way, digging her nails in his skin. "You'd better speak now," she seethed through her teeth in a sinister way, and leaned in to whisper slowly, but in clear admonition, "or I'll make you wish you were never born."

"She's real subtle, Yahiko, yeah." The blonde, who was the youngest among the gang and the only one with no scruples, joked once again. He was really enjoying himself when picking on Yahiko and his feelings for Konan. "Is she always this gentle?" he added for good measure, eagerly awaiting a heated response.

The look in Yahiko's eyes was a very dangerous one. "Deidara, you are really asking for it," he warned in a quiet, but strong voice. It was a sensitive topic for him, after all.

Deidara just lifted his mouth in half a smile, and huffed in exasperation, before turning his attention to the woman and her victim.

"What is your connection with Ryoga Takayama?" she asked, a glare forming in her eyes. She was not that easily fooled and she knew he had a strong connection with their target. He even looked so much like the man they were after, she was positive they were related.

"I don't know him, I just bought this van from him," he tried to lie, once again. The calculating look she gave him apparently scared him immensely, so he added in a considerably weak voice, "It's the truth, I swear."

The woman ignored his attempt of being deceitful with her. "Where is he now?" she shouted the question right in his face, feeling fury because of his foul attitude. She was ready to make him kneel in front of her and beg for mercy, but even she knew that this was not the place for that.

Nagato, after noticing her slight distress, approached her from behind and whispered to her, "Konan, let me search him, I also have a feeling that he's lying to us." His manner of speaking made it very clear that she would eventually have a chance to make him suffer, much later though, when he would be taken to their base.

Nagato was a very ruthless man when it came to dealing with criminals. He possessed no feeling of remorse for them, always bearing in mind that they were too cruel to be treated in any other way. As always, he was showing his vindictive side, while the man shook in utter fear.

After leaving the man in his hands, Konan walked toward Itachi, wanting to have a word with him.

"Itachi, he's Takayama's brother, I just know it," Konan addressed Itachi in a detached way, without looking at him. She was occupied with her own thoughts, while trying to decipher the whole situation.

"Hn, I noticed the resemblance," his answer was casual and his voice cool and devoid of any emotion. He was constantly observing the man and already had a plan formed in his mind.

"He carries no documents with him," the claret-haired man turned to look at their leader, waiting for further instructions. However, he already knew what the decision would be, so he gripped the man fiercely and forced him into the side of the van with his face pressed tightly to the cold metal.

"Take him to the base!" Itachi shouted angrily, all the while glaring at the man that dared to lie to them. His words were easily understandable, since they always meant severe interrogation methods. Afterward, he just casually commanded, "Deidara, you know what to do," before swiftly leaving the scene without batting an eyelash. He knew that they would catch Ryoga soon and after that make him regret every foul action he had ever done in his life.

"You just made the worst mistake of your life!" Yahiko threatened the man that was being led by Nagato, his hands tightly bound with a special rope that made it impossible to escape .

After obtaining some things that could serve them, Deidara placed a small device in the van and started distancing from it. "You have to feel art. And true art... is a BLAST!" he bellowed the last word of his trademark line at the same time the explosion happened.

"You clean up the mess!" Sasori said to him, with utter disrespect latched to his tone of voice. He could not stand his bragging about art, it never ceased to annoy him. He then went and sat in the driver's seat of the car.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Chapter 5: Love & Regret II

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**5**__**th**__** Chapter:**_ _Love & Regret_

_-part 2-_

"Hey, teme, I wanted to ask you something..." Naruto spoke in a hushed tone, but the Uchiha heard him well nonetheless.

"Aa. What is it?" he uttered disinterestedly, his thoughts occupied by other things. He really couldn't think that the blond ever had a serious reason for wanting to talk to him.

It took Naruto a moment to form his question, mostly because he didn't know what Sasuke's reaction would be. "What happened between Sakura-chan and you?" he asked, pure resolve latched into his voice. "I mean, you seem awfully close, you're both acting the same as before," he added a few seconds later, before Sasuke had the chance to speak.

"What do you mean?" the raven-haired boy asked. He understood him well, but he still wanted to hear what Naruto had to say, wanted to see whether he perceived anything in a different way than him.

"Well, it's as if you're back together, but without the kissing and stuff," Naruto stated simply, this time not trying to conceal any of his thoughts, nor the intention of his question.

"Hn," Sasuke just grunted in response, keeping silent for a whole minute after that. His face portrayed slight hesitance, and when he noticed the questioning look on Naruto's face, he tried to explain, "We're not together, but things are somehow better between us."

"You should be happy!" Naruto said in encouragement, but it was all an act, since he just wanted to provoke a different kind of reaction from his best friend. He knew that he was hiding something from him that obviously had a lot to do with his feelings for Sakura, so naturally, Naruto wanted to find out what that was.

"Hn." Definite disappointment could be noticed in the tone of the Uchiha and that's what Naruto was waiting for. He wanted to see even a small sign that Sasuke still had feelings for the pink-haired girl.

"Don't tell me you want her back?" The blond couldn't help it, he just had to ask. That thought bugged him ever since he had witnessed the apparent change in behavior between the two. Even Sakura had surprised him greatly with her own sudden change in attitude toward Sasuke, especially since she seemed so hurt at first.

Feeling completely torn inside, Sasuke decided to no longer hide his innermost thoughts, at least not in front of Naruto. He started to speak with a weak voice, "My feelings are not important anymore. I can't even tell her what I feel. She made it clear that she doesn't want us to go back to past events. If I break the promise I gave to her, our friendship will end." His long speech was not something characteristic of him, but he didn't care at all. He was already tired of everything.

The look of shook was evidently present on Naruto's face. His blue eyes were slightly widened and the utter astonishment prevented him from regaining the control over the muscles of his face, keeping the silly expression present for several long moments. He just couldn't believe that Sasuke had confessed so much, when he usually kept everything to himself. "Oh, wow, Sasuke..." he breathed out, before continuing to speak, "you really have a huge problem!"

"Hn, tell me about it," he shifted uncomfortably on the couch, not liking the idea that he would probably never find a way to change things between him and Sakura.

"Why did you break up in the first place? What was the reason for it, anyway?" Naruto took the seat right next to Sasuke, crossed his arms and huffed in exasperation.

His questioning was irritating the usually stoic Uchiha, who was currently not acting like his usual self. "If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here with you, dobe," he bit out in annoyance.

His anger didn't intimidate the blond, since he wasn't paying any attention to it. His mind was processing a completely different set of thoughts. "Wow! You should totally try to figure out the truth! You can't leave it at that!" the hyperactive boy almost shouted in utter horror. He was really surprised that Sasuke was still not aware of the reason for the break up. If he wasn't interested in figuring out the truth, then he should definitely expect nothing in return. In spite of this, he still could understand his friend, seeing that he really wasn't that good when it came to relationships, or anything of the sort.

"How could that be of help?" Sasuke asked, mostly prompted by his unwillingness to try and find out the truth. Unconsciously he somehow knew that it must have been his fault and that he was the one that broke her heart. The mere thought frightened him, mostly because he didn't know how he'd deal with his mistakes if that were true.

"I can't believe that I am the one to tell you this, but you are so slow when it comes to this 'relationship' stuff." Naruto spoke to him as if he were just a small kid that needed a lecture about something pretty simple, without realizing that he himself wasn't any better.

"Well, no shit, dobe!" he said sarcastically, as a different thought drifted through his mind. '_You're the one to talk. You still haven't made a move on Hinata._'

"Okay, okay, I'll help you out 'cause you're my best friend and I can see that you're desperate," the blond spoke in a fairly casual tone, while his facial expression portrayed some form of self-confidence. At that moment it looked like he believed he could accomplish anything that crossed his mind, something he had even proven on several occasions.

However, Sasuke didn't welcome Naruto's offer, so he snapped at him, "Are you enjoying yourself?" He held a certain accusation in his tone of voice, while his eyes shined with apparent irritation.

Naruto was taken aback by the not so subtle allegation, so he instantly reacted in order to defend himself. "No! How can you say that? I'm not heartless. I actually care a lot about you both and I would be more than pleased to see you happy and I somehow know that you are perfect for each another." The expression on his face said it all, he was being entirely sincere.

Sasuke was barely able to suppress the blush that threatened to creep up his neck, caused by Naruto's words. "Can you cut the sentimental crap? I'm not in the mood," he bit out only a moment later, trying to shake off the awkward feeling.

"Alright, don't be so grumpy," he said, sounding like he was reprimanding Sasuke for something. "If I recall right, she was the one that initiated the break up?" he then thoughtfully asked, making a face that clearly showed his attempt to figure everything out with the use of his brain, which appeared to be quite a demanding effort for him.

"Yeah, alright, what's your point?" Sasuke sounded utterly disturbed, like he didn't want to remember that moment from his past, though he did want to know what was going through Naruto's head at the moment.

"There is something that confuses me," the blond mused, and after a short pause continued to word his thoughts, "I'm convinced that she loved you, but why would she want to break up with you then? There is something that we're missing here."

Sasuke took a moment to think. "I don't know, she was positive that I was the one who wanted us to break up, but I'm certain I never said anything along those lines to her," he spoke, already feeling completely disturbed by the memories.

Naruto's face was suddenly lit up with the expression of having discovered something very important. "Aha, did she act strange or anything of the sort?" he asked, looking at his friend with an expectant gleam in his blue eyes.

"She acted really cold and was very distant. Her eyes seemed... well, defeated," Sasuke spoke with his eyebrows slightly scrunched up in thought. As the memory played in his mind, he unconsciously started wording out his thoughts aloud. "I was worried that something bad might have happened to her, but when I asked her if she was okay she just said she was, and then suddenly... she started saying things I never expected her to say. I don't even remember what I said and how things got to the part where things were finally over. Then she left and I couldn't find one positive feeling inside myself. I couldn't even sleep that night and when I woke up the next morning I felt awful, almost as if something had died inside me. I tried calling her, but she didn't answer her phone and when I went to her house, her mother said that she had gone on a promotional tour." He ended his long speech, being suddenly overwhelmed by the same unbearable emotions that had consumed him that day. He had really begun hating those torturous feelings that tore his heart to pieces.

A few moments later, Naruto's yell echoed through the room, "Oh, damn, I think I know what happened!"

It took him some time, but the raven-haired teenager finally registered Naruto's outburst and instantly felt curiosity build up in him. "What?" he whispered, glaring at nothing in particular.

Paying little attention to the fact that Sasuke apparently wasn't trying to hide his emotions, Naruto continued to shamelessly express his suspicions, "I think that she heard our conversation, the one when you said you wanted to break up with her because you felt you didn't love her. Remember?" Afterward, he just looked at Sasuke somewhat expectantly, but there was also a small trace of uncertainty.

"That happened the same day she asked me to come to the café," he spoke the first thought that came to his mind. He was trying very hard not to consider the reality of that assumption, fearing the possibility that he may have been the one to have hurt Sakura. It was, however, a thoroughly failed attempt, seeing as he couldn't ignore the pieces falling into place in his own mind, slowly beginning to scare him. "How could I have not thought of this before?" he murmured, feeling extreme anxiety grip his entire soul, consuming him from every direction.

Naruto was thoughtfully gazing in front of himself and unconsciously added, "She must have come to visit you, wanting to surprise you with the news about the tour."

Sasuke just looked at him with a forlorn expression. It seemed that Naruto had clearly put into words what Sasuke couldn't figure out how to say, even though it was undoubtedly wreaking havoc through his emotions. The only feeling he could now discern inside himself was the rapidly growing guilt, slowly but steadily eating him up from the inside. He could only think one thought, '_I ruined everything for her._'

"It's my fault. I don't deserve her… she has every right to hate me." His whispered words came out only a moment later, and he clutched his head with both hands in a very painful grip.

His words, and especially the action that accompanied them, scared Naruto. He immediately tried to calm his best friend, fearing that Sasuke was starting to lose his mind. "Sasuke, look at me!" he shouted, all the while gripping his friend's shoulders, trying hard to make him listen. Apparently, it didn't work, so Naruto raised his voice considerably as pure resolve shined through his bright blue eyes. "Just look at me!" The instant Sasuke's black irises gazed up at him, he continued his attempt to reason with him, "It's not your fault you were confused about your feelings for her." He hoped that those words would be enough to at least make Sasuke realize that it wasn't entirely his fault. The blond really hated that he had to see Sasuke's feelings overshadowed by guilt, especially now, when he was supposed to think of ways to make things right again. He was aware that this was probably Sakura and Sasuke's last chance to work things out. A minute passed during which Sasuke didn't say a single word, so he decided that it was time to remind him of a very crucial thing. "Do you even remember what your decision at the end of our conversation was?" he asked, impatiently awaiting Sasuke's reaction.

However, the raven-haired teenager did nothing — he was already deeply lost in his thoughts. He had focused on the memories of the past, trying to relive the fateful day.

**::Flashback::**

Sasuke was seated on the couch in his room, completely oblivious to his best friend's antics. His mind was clouded with thoughts of Sakura, thoughts that brought forth all kinds of unfamiliar feelings which lately seemed to consume him. His attempts to squash them with his reasonable thinking, proved to be feeble at best — the thoughts just continued overthrowing everything in front of them. Experiencing something so intense was completely new to him and had he not been so stubborn, he would've admitted that it scared him immensely. He had never felt this way about anyone and when he started dating Sakura he didn't plan for this to happen, he didn't expect things to get out of his control. At first he just wanted to enjoy himself and spend time with her, but as more time passed, he found he was slowly becoming a slave to his emotions. Whatever this was, he just wanted it to stop. He no longer wanted to constantly think about her or crave her presence every single second.

Naruto's sudden outburst finally distracted him from his moment of silent deliberation. The hyperactive boy was playing some ninja game on the console and was apparently losing the match, so he screamed obscenities at the screen, clearly deluding himself that his opponent was a real person that could actually hear his words. Sasuke just looked at him and suddenly decided to talk to his friend about everything that had been bothering him during the past few days. He especially wanted to know what Naruto would think of his plan concerning Sakura.

"Naruto, I want to talk to you about something," he finally spoke, trying to keep his cool. On the outside he looked his usual self, like nothing and no one could touch him, a cold and distant expression marring his features.

"Sure, teme. What is it?" Naruto sounded greatly unfocused, apparently not really paying attention to what his friend was saying to him.

Sasuke was instantly annoyed, but he decided to ignore it. "I'm serious, you have to listen," he pointedly addressed the idiot whose attention was still captured by the game. The seriousness in his voice brought Naruto back from his world of games and fun.

"Okay, Sasuke, I'm listening." As he spoke he dropped the gadget and focused his entire attention to the stoic looking Uchiha.

"I was thinking… I was thinking about breaking up with Sakura." The moment those words left his lips, he felt something stir his insides, but he made a strong attempt to push the feeling away. He was not surprised by the heaviness in his voice, but apparently that was what shocked the other boy.

Naruto was so staggered, he couldn't stop himself from shouting at the top of his lungs, "WHAT?" A moment later, after being glared at by the person that caused him sudden and immense anger, he asked, "Why would you do that? I mean, you two are perfect for each other," he finished his very serious statement, but in a soft tone, since his anger had been toned down by a different set of emotions. He couldn't help but think of Sakura and what she'd think of the crazy thoughts going through Sasuke's mind. He figured that she would, without a doubt, feel betrayed, but above all else immeasurably hurt.

"I don't think so. I'm confused about my feelings… and positive that I don't love her. I just can't deal with myself in this relationship anymore… It's driving me crazy." His confession shocked Naruto even more.

For a very long moment that passed in complete silence, Naruto just stared at his friend with a jumble of emotions flowing through him. His eyes were dangerously narrowed, but he wasn't conscious of that fact. He wasn't angry with his friend, he was irritated by the whole situation. He had a feeling that Sasuke wasn't really aware of the significance of what he had just said; that he was, in fact, mostly confused by his feelings for his girlfriend.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" he had to ask that question, hoping it would make Sasuke fully comprehend his own words, hoping that he would understand that breaking up with Sakura would be a grave mistake.

Sasuke chose to be honest, after witnessing the unusually intense look in Naruto's eyes. "My feelings, they're too intense. I have never felt like this before… these thoughts are consuming my mind, every single second."

Even if that statement wasn't something the blond expected, he decided to use the opportunity to instill some form of reason in Sasuke's thick skull. "Well, I know what makes you feel that way, and breaking up with her is only going to make things worse." He purposefully used a soft tone of voice, mindful that if he made Sasuke angry for even a small second, he might shut himself out and never speak of this again, which would only result in Sasuke doing the first thing to pop into his mind, and it now seemed that the only thing he was contemplating was breaking off the relationship he had with Sakura.

"I really don't know what to think. I want to break off any connection I have with her in order to banish these feelings," he spoke in all honesty, already feeling confused. He just wished for any sign that might give him the answer he needed.

"Sasuke, that won't help you in any way," Naruto simply stated, already knowing what his friend truly felt. This conversation gave him all the information he needed in order to form an opinion.

"Then, what will? I really can't take this anymore!" Sasuke covered his head with his palms and looked down. Immeasurable desperation was radiating off him, as if he wasn't able to find an answer to the questions constantly flowing through his mind.

"You should really think about it. There must be a reason you chose her to be your girlfriend..." Naruto's words made Sasuke visibly flinch and the brand new look in his eyes spoke of his internal turmoil, brought out on the surface by the true meaning of those same words. However, Naruto had no intention of stopping with his talk. "I mean, you freaking hate every other girl that even tries to approach you." His bright blue eyes rolled in a way that displayed his seriousness and self-assuredness. "If your feelings are as strong as you say they are, then you shouldn't fear them, you should rely on them. Only feeling nothing for Sakura should make you end things with her, but not feeling the exact opposite."

Sasuke took the time to process everything Naruto had said and relate those words to his relationship with Sakura. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I think you might be right," he said, as he struggled to keep his expression as cool as possible. He didn't feel comfortable openly displaying the pleasant emotions that suddenly enveloped him. He just simply couldn't see himself showing his emotions about anything to anyone.

"Enjoy your time with Sakura-chan, and I'm sure you'll find a way to settle your emotions." The blond finally smiled, feeling satisfied with himself, but mostly happy for his friend. On second thought, he was happy for both his friends, because, the way he saw it, they completed each other. It was sad that they weren't aware of everything their relationship entailed or to what extent their emotions had already matured.

'_I will do this..._' Sasuke thought, already feeling a bit more relaxed. '_I have to talk to her, tonight!_' His newfound determination surprised him, and not just slightly, and the feelings he suddenly felt were completely different from the ones he had felt only minutes before.

**::End of Flashback::**

A long time passed before anyone spoke. Naruto found the silence excruciating and for a long moment he hesitated, but he finally chose to speak anyway.

"Do you feel better now?" He was aware that the question was a bit far-fetched, after seeing the forlorn expression on Sasuke's face, but he asked it anyway.

"No, I just know that I'm the one to be blamed," he whispered those words, not liking how they made him feel. It was difficult enough to even consider the possibility, but having to say it out loud was even more painful.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Naruto told him, trying to comfort him. Noticing that Sasuke was lost in deep thoughtfulness — something he found quite surprising — he decided to say the most logical thing that came to his mind. "We don't even know if we're on the right track with this." Then, he just looked at his friend, expecting him to say something.

Not even a whole second later, Sasuke shouted, "Myogi! ...we can ask him!" He was already on his feet, this newest thought not allowing for much waiting.

"Myogi, the butler?" Naruto was completely flabbergasted, the surprise clearly written on his face.

"Yes, let's go!" he urgently answered and was already out the door in the next instant. Naruto quickly followed behind.

"Myogi!" Sasuke called, still descending the stairs.

The loyal man that had been serving the Uchiha family for years appeared in the hall. He was formally dressed and somehow strictly gracious. He straightened his posture as he waited for his young master to approach him.

The moment the young man stood in front of him, he asked in a very polite way, "How may I assist you, Uchiha-san?"

"I want to ask you something..." Sasuke spoke, his entire being exuding calmness, completely covering for his true distress. He then proceeded with the question he had meant to ask from the start. "When was the last time Sakura came here?"

"I believe it was in late April," he answered, without giving it any thought, obviously completely sure of the accuracy of his memory. It had served him right for many years and he always paid special attention to everything that happened in the house.

"Okay, do you remember any details from that visit?" Sasuke pressed further, some of his trained calmness slipping away from his control.

"It was Saturday morning and she asked to see you at once. I told her you were in your room with Uzumaki-san and she went upstairs. It was a very short visit, but that wasn't what surprised me the most." His answer was slow; he seemed to require some time to fully remember the details. However, without even the smallest hint of hesitance he added, "I am not sure whether it would be appropriate for me to speak further on the matter." The man felt it wasn't his place to talk about something that seemed to be personal.

"Myogi, tell me everything, I have to know," Sasuke spat out in a commanding manner, but rudeness was never part of his attitude. He always held this man in high regard, after all he had showed immense kindness to his family and thus deserved to always be treated respectfully.

The aged man took a moment to gather his memories before he gave his answer. "She was extremely happy when I opened the door, more than usual. However, her expression was completely different when she left the house, which was only a couple of minutes after she had arrived. She didn't even say goodbye to me, which surprised me quite a bit." A second later he stopped in order to form a conclusion of his own, feeling the necessity to clearly voice his thoughts. "It was all so peculiar, but I never said anything because it is not my place to interfere in your personal matters," he finished talking, without giving any further opinion on the matter.

Sasuke stood in silence, observed by both his best friend and the butler. The words he had just heard had given him the answer he had been most afraid of. His eyes instantly clouded over and his mind completely shut down to everything that went on around him.

The butler, very familiar with Sasuke's character, immediately noticed that something was wrong with the young man. He felt slight worried, a feeling that showed in his otherwise controlled tone of voice as he asked, "Uchiha-san, is everything alright?"

"Yes, thank you, Myogi." The words that left Sasuke's lips were unconsciously whispered. It was obvious that he was not aware of anything currently going on around him.

"If you'll excuse me, Uchiha-san, Uzumaki-san," Myogi politely addressed the young teenagers, excusing himself. He thought it would be better to leave the entire matter in the hands of the blond boy.

"You may go, Myogi," Naruto dismissed the man, after noticing that his friend was already lost in his thoughts. It appeared that he was thinking of something important, since his eyes were unfocused.

"Naruto, I hurt her, I really hurt her!" Sasuke's voice got louder, a result of the excruciating pain that ripped through his heart. He gripped his hair, trying to focus his mind on something else, erase all the memories that crawled upon his thoughts and tortured him. Everything was so much better between them now, but to him it looked like fate had not worked in his advantage. On the contrary, he felt he had lost every chance for a relationship with Sakura, now that he finally knew her reasons for wanting to end things with him.

The blond couldn't find the will to lie or cover up the obvious truth, so he had to agree, "I know." A seriously forlorn expression twisted Sasuke's facial features, but that was nothing compared to how he felt on the inside. It was like someone had taken his soul out and torn it to pieces. He didn't even want to imagine what Sakura had gone through these past few months and what added even more pain was the fact that it was now his turn to feel like the world had just crashed down on him. The blond couldn't help but feel sorry for his friends and how fate had played with their lives.

"How can I possibly fix that?" Sasuke's question was directed at no one in particular, but he hoped that his friend would have at least one answer that might bring his hope back. The desperation was barely noticeable in his voice, because of his efforts to hide his feelings.

"Maybe you should talk to her?" Naruto suggested, unable to find another answer. At the moment, he too felt lost.

"I don't know, Naruto," Sasuke silently spoke, a moment later. He couldn't imagine himself talking to Sakura after this.

"Okay, I think you should take a rest from things and we'll talk after you clear your mind," he spoke in a soft tone, resting his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. He wanted to make sure Sasuke was listening to what he was trying to say. "Just don't torture yourself with unnecessary thoughts, everything will be okay." His words were meant as a reassurance, but the sad thing was that he himself wasn't so sure of it.

"Hn." Sasuke turned his head in order to avoid Naruto's piercing stare. The feeling of guilt was torturous enough; he didn't need any other reminders of what he had truly done to Sakura.

"Bye, teme, I will call you tomorrow," Naruto bid him goodbye, but the twisting feeling in his gut wouldn't leave him. He didn't feel like leaving Sasuke alone. However, he knew it was better this way. Sasuke would have time to think things through. After all, time alone with his own thoughts was what Sasuke needed most at the moment.

* * *

Naruto was seated in his room, thoughtfully contemplating his previous conversation with Sasuke. He didn't like the unpleasant feeling that kept coursing through him ever since he had left the Uchiha household. The only thing he could do then was think about it. He couldn't concentrate on anything else but finding a way to help his friends. He had already thought over all the possibilities, but what he really needed was an accomplice. He needed someone who would be willing to help him, had a sensitive heart and was familiar with the problem.

Not even a minute later he instantly thought of Hinata and a blush crept up his neck. He suddenly felt really nervous because he had to call her. After all, this was something that couldn't be postponed. The fact that it would be his first time to talk to her over the phone made him exceptionally panicky. However, he decided to gather his courage and go for it, before he totally lost it.

He took his cell phone in his hand and shuffled through his contacts list until he reached her name. He pressed the dial button and placed the gadget to his ear.

"Hello?" a soft voice answered.

"Hinata-chan, it's me... Naruto!" He felt it was essential to introduce himself, so he spoke a bit more cheerfully than was necessary.

"Naruto-kun?" She already knew it was him even before she picked up the phone, but she was still a bit dazed, unable to fully realize he had really called her. A moment later, she hesitantly greeted him, "Hey."

"How are you, Hinata-chan?" he asked, that cheerful tone of his still present in his voice.

"I'm g-good, Naruto-kun. How are you?" her voice almost betrayed the sudden nervousness she felt, but luckily Naruto was oblivious to the hints that constantly betrayed her feelings toward him. She couldn't help but think of all the possible reasons why he would call her. Her heart was already beating faster than normal and she could hardly suppress the excitement that rushed through her.

"Not that good," he answered, his tone of voice changing into one filled with worry. Nevertheless, he continued speaking, trying not to allow the gravity of the things he was about to tell her overwhelm him. "You see, I have a problem... well, technically it's not my problem, but I really need your help..." he finished explaining in a fairly vague way. Despite the fact that he had given her a sketchy explanation, he hoped that the girl would agree to his proposal.

She noticed the change in his tone and she began to worry. However, her surprise overcame every other feeling, since she could still not believe he had actually asked for her help. "You need m-my help?" she asked him, disbelief evident in her small voice.

"Yes, Hinata-chan, I really need you," he answered, a bit more of the anxiety he felt leaking on the surface.

"Okay, I hope I won't disappoint you," she agreed, but still felt unsure, mostly because she didn't know if she would truly be of help, and she desperately wanted to make him happy. The fact that she agreed to something she knew nothing about would have made her skeptical, but since it was Naruto who had asked for her help, she felt much more at ease. "What's it about?" she asked in a normal tone, expecting to hear an answer, but he surprised her once again.

"It's a bit complicated and I wouldn't like to talk about it over the phone," he simply stated, but then suggested, "Can we talk over lunch?"

"Sure," she gave her assent, the feeling of giddiness already working its way through her heart. She was suddenly very thankful that Naruto couldn't witness the flaming blush that burned her cheeks. She almost felt like he was asking her out on a date and that made her feel self-conscious like never before in her life.

"You're so sweet, Hinata-chan. Thank you!" She could hear the relief in his voice, which made her relieved as well. For some reason, it was always hard for her to see him sad. His personality was such a cheerful one, that it seemed blasphemous to her to see him in any state other than radiating happiness. But, then he asked, "Will it be okay if I pick you up in an hour?" he asked. She thought her chest might explode because of the speedy beating of her heart.

"That would be perfect, I'll be waiting," she spoke, after finally finding her voice, the smile never leaving her face.

"Okay, I can't wait. Bye, Hinata-chan," he bid her goodbye, also unable to hold his excitement in place.

"Bye, Naruto-kun," she said, just before they both hung up.

Unbeknownst to the other, they both felt exceptionally happy because of the upcoming lunch date.

* * *

It was one of those days when Yuroichi Takeshi acted like a first class idiot, being his usual stubborn self while presenting his demands to his manager. However, there was a strong reason behind his actions and the strange thing was that he was not being selfish for the very first time. He actually wanted to make someone else happy, but it was very difficult for Shiori to accept these intentions as honest. That is exactly why they had been shouting at each other for the last two hours.

"Takeshi, you can't do this!" Shiori said with his voice raised, something he rarely ever did. Most of the time, he was a person who controlled his own emotions and rarely had any outbursts, regardless of the reason. This time, though, he was in a really bad position, because Takeshi was asking for the impossible.

"Yes, I can, and I will!" the arrogant teenager replied in an equally loud voice, with too much anger present in his manner. He was really irritated by the whole situation, especially because his wishes had always been granted and now it was slowly becoming apparent that for the first time they might not be.

"This is insane! Everything is already prepared, so you can't just change the songs at the last minute," Shiori tried to reason with him, lowering his voice just a fraction. They had been arguing for a really long time already and his patience was growing thinner by the second. He was always the one who kept Takeshi's wishes at a ground level, but that wasn't the case this time, because the teen idol was being really persistent, as well as demanding.

"You will arrange this or I won't even show up at the awards!" Takeshi decided to use blackmailing as his final weapon. What he had been asking for was something he really desired, for some reason, and he had decided he was going to fight with all he had just to get it. He actually knew why he was being so persistent and whenever his thoughts went in that direction, he became even more stubborn. In fact, he had a strong desire to sing his new songs for the very first time in front of the person that had given him a fresh inspiration. During the past weeks he had been struggling with the unfamiliar emotions that were consuming him, but he accepted them the moment he had finished writing the songs. The music and lyrics represented everything he felt for Sakura and he desperately needed to have her hear them.

Shiori was completely taken aback, so he stared at Takeshi with wide eyes. A moment later, he struggled to strengthen his resolve and tried to act as if he wasn't going to be played that easily. "You can't threaten me with that. I know that you are dying to go, so let me tell you this... it's not going to work, whatever it is you are trying to pull," he spoke with fake certainty and hoped that Takeshi wouldn't notice the lack of authority in his voice.

"I won't sing those songs you planned for me. I will sing the ones I wrote!" Takeshi shot back with a strong determination and by the way he narrowed his eyes dangerously, it was obvious he left no space for arguing.

"I can't believe this. We've already discussed this, Takeshi." The way his manager finally spoke was obviously leading toward surrender. He no longer felt the strength to argue over the matter, so he tried to at least give a reasonable opinion. "Those songs you wrote are not something that your fans will expect." The demands Takeshi had weren't going to be beneficial to his career, not even in the least.

"Oh, my fans would love anything I throw at them." Takeshi spoke with obvious certainty in his voice. He then smiled and added in a smug sort of way, "And, I assure you that the girls will go nuts over them!"

"Okay, I will try to convince the producers, but I can't promise anything." Shiori said, all the while flashing his friend an honest smile. It was very difficult to refuse him his wishes when he was finally acting like a person and not like a conceited teenager who had too much power over everything around him. Takeshi's demands might have hinted toward the fact that he hadn't actually grown at all, but Shiori could notice that something had really changed in his usually superior and egotistical demeanor.

"Thank you, Shiori! Thank you!" he exclaimed, satisfaction proudly displayed on his face. Pure happiness flowed through him — after all, his greatest desire was about to come true. He truly couldn't wait to perform at the Music Awards in front of Sakura. He just hoped that she would like the songs he had written especially for her.

"She really changed you, huh?" Shiori asked with a dumbstruck expression marring his facial features. He could hardly grasp this moment as real, because he had surely never witnessed this sort of behavior by his friend. It was strange to see him so excited over something that wouldn't be advantageous to him in any way.

"If you are asking me if I like her, then my answer is that I really do," he answered with a huge smile stretched along his face before leaving the room.

Shiori could only stare after him in complete shock because of what he had just heard. Takeshi actually liked someone and that someone was actually a girl.

* * *

After exiting the car, Naruto took a moment to settle his feelings. He was very nervous before his lunch date with Hinata. Still, he did give his best effort to take a step forward and ring on the doorbell.

The one who opened the door was the very girl he was anxious to see. He was instantly floored on the spot — she looked that beautiful to him. His eyes appraised every detail of her appearance, trying to permanently imprint this moment in his memory. She was wearing a delicate looking ivory dress made out of a very gentle and smooth material. Her cardigan was dark blue and had some slightly elaborate embroidery near the shoulders and the ballet flats she wore were of the same color with intricately arranged crystals on the front.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," she greeted shyly, tucking her silky hair behind her ear. Naruto's stare made her feel a bit more timid than she had expected, so she tried to avoid his gaze.

The boy obviously needed a lot of time to regain his ability to form at least one coherent sentence. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" he greeted her at last, very thankful that he didn't embarrass himself by spluttering the words. Yet, only a moment later he was unable to contain himself any more, so he unguardedly spoke his next thoughts, "You look really beautiful!" As he said that, he was looking at her in a very appreciating way. He really was amazed by her appearance, which wasn't surprising in the least. The feelings he harbored for the girl were quite strong, after all.

"T-thank you," she stuttered a bit, as a full-blown blush adorned her cheeks.

"Are you ready?" he asked, nervously rubbing his neck.

"Yes, I just need to get my bag," she said and was already gone from his sight.

"Okay," he said, and as he waited patiently for her to return he couldn't help but smile broadly. This entire situation was making him quite ecstatic.

"So, where would you like to eat?" he asked and then led her toward the car. As he opened the door for her, he never, not even for a second, turned his gaze form her beautiful face.

"Aren't we going to Ichiraku's?" she had to answer with a question of her own, mostly because she was thoroughly taken aback. She had figured that, since they were going out for a lunch, they would be eating at his favorite restaurant.

"No, I want you to pick out the place," he simply answered with a broad smile brightening his face. He didn't want to act in a selfish way and choose the place himself just because he was insatiably fond of the meal. His greatest wish at the moment was to make Hinata happy and he thought it would be very nice if she chose the place. Her wishes were his priority at the moment.

"But, I would love to eat ramen with you..." she spoke quietly, but Naruto heard her well. She felt a bit unsure of his reaction at her honest statement, because she had never been so open about her feelings in front of him. The fact that she had just admitted that she would love to make him happy, even if it was in a roundabout sort of way, made her feel a bit unsure of herself. '_I always imagined that our first date would be at Ichiraku's... but even though this may not be a real date, it still feels nice,_' she thought to herself.

"Really?" he sounded quite surprised, but pleased at the same time. "Hinata-chan, you are the best!" The moment couldn't get any better — he would be eating his favorite meal in the company of his favorite girl.

Hinata just smiled very sweetly at him in return. His words made her heart beat erratically and a warm feeling spread through her body.

He closed the door for her and then sat in the driver's seat and drove off.

After a minute of silence, he asked what he suddenly desperately wanted to find out, "Hinata-chan...? What is your favorite meal?"

"I like red bean soup and cinnamon rolls. Why do you ask?" Her facial features portrayed some of her curiosity about his motives to ask her that question.

"Oh, because that's what we'll be eating next time," he said, all the while flashing her his very sincere smile. This made her blush profusely. It was as if he had just admitted that he was planning on asking her out for lunch one more time.

Twenty minutes later, they reached the famous ramen restaurant and Naruto was once again acting like a gentleman as he opened the door for her. They took a seat at one of the tables that were positioned in a more secluded corner and after being served with their order, Hinata decided to speak.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she asked expectantly, eager to hear what his answer would be, since she couldn't find the reason behind his request.

"It's about Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan..." he uttered those words with apparent worry. Thinking that a further explanation was necessary, he added, "Actually, it's something concerning their break up." He then looked at Hinata with desperate pleading in his eyes.

"What about it?" she asked, while a feeling of uneasiness enveloped her. It was very difficult for her to talk about something so private, especially something so private to someone else, even if it was in front of Naruto, who was one of Sakura's best friends.

"I would like to know about Sakura's reasons," he explained, but the look in his bright blue eyes never wavered. He really wanted to help his friends, to make things right between them, since it appeared that neither one was able to take a step forward. Seeing them both go through pain, when in reality it was obvious that they were in love with each other, was really heartbreaking to him.

"I don't know if I should tell you," she quietly spoke, avoiding his eyes on purpose. She was being honest with him, not wanting to betray Sakura's trust. After all, this was something that concerned the feelings of the pink-haired girl and Hinata didn't feel right speaking about it.

"Hinata-chan, please, Sasuke is desperate." After saying those words, he took her hand in his, wanting her to focus on him. His attempt proved to be helpful, because Hinata turned to look at him. Witnessing such a pained look in Naruto's eyes made her sympathize with him. She realized that his friends' happiness meant a lot to him and that he was really trying to help them.

Hinata was just about to speak again, but it appeared that Naruto was not finished talking because he spoke for a second time, "He cares about her so much and yesterday he was really devastated. He blames himself for hurting her."

She could hardly believe what Naruto had just said. It was surreal to even think that Sasuke truly felt so devastated; in which case it would appear that his feelings for Sakura were truly heartfelt. That sole piece of evidence gave her the reassurance she needed in order to feel safe about telling Naruto what he wanted to know. Lead by his sincerity, she herself wanted to be honest, therefore she said, "It really is his fault, Naruto-kun. He really broke her heart. He made her feel immensely sad and heartbroken."

Naruto was a bit hesitant about voicing his next thoughts, but he decided to do so anyway. "I talked to him yesterday and we are uncertain about something." He took a moment to gather his thoughts, before declaring their suspicion, "We think that she heard something that she shouldn't have." The look in his eyes changed and it expressed sheer expectancy. After all, if Hinata confirmed it, then it had to be true and that was the information he was afraid of hearing.

"Well, she did hear him say that he wanted to break up with her!" When he heard those words leave Hinata's lips, Naruto felt a pang in his chest. The doubts he didn't want to accept were confirmed by her. "Her whole world was turned upside down." He could hear the sadness in her voice and he completely understood how she felt, after all he himself felt the very same thing. It was very difficult to accept the fact that Sakura had gone through so much pain and apparently alone and while on her very first tour.

Not a moment later, the blond snapped out of his trance and looked considerably alarmed. "She didn't hear the whole conversation. That confession was just a small part of it. He was confused, but in the end he finally realized that it would be a huge mistake to break up with her," Naruto spoke hastily, leaning across the table, eagerly trying to explain the big misunderstanding.

"What about the part where he said he never loved her, was it just empty words? Or he is really so messed up that he doesn't know what he wants?" There was a slight anger in her tone, as she was openly accusing Sasuke of causing everything that Sakura had had to endure. Even though she was surprised by the sudden anger she felt, the memories of Sakura's crying voice over the phone were hardly something that she could easily banish from her memory. She could plainly feel Sakura's desolation even now.

"I really want you to try to understand him, Hinata-chan," Naruto pleaded, grasping her small hand a bit more tightly.

In that instant she looked at him with sorrowful eyes and sincerely admitted, "I want to understand, I really do, but you will have to help me with that," she urged him to tell her everything about how Sasuke felt.

Naruto understood what she was asking from him, so he told her everything he witnessed with his own eyes. Not just the things that Sasuke told him when he opened up to him, but also everything he had figured out by reading even the smallest of hints in Sasuke's actions – something he had become very good at after being friends with the teme for all those years.

After hearing him out with undivided attention, she finally spoke, "I think I understand how he feels. I am glad that he finally realized that he loves her." Then, she just smiled gently at the boy she loved.

"I knew that you'd get it, Hinata-chan," he said excitedly, feeling unreservedly thankful that she understood. He had no doubts that she would, but he was still slightly worried. Unable to stop himself from feeling abrupt joy, he added, "They really love each other, it's so obvious. I plan to help them get back together. I want you to help me with my plan. Please, Hinata-chan?" His eyes shined with happiness, but there were also some not so small hints of hope, which ultimately made Hinata unable to resist.

She had to admit that she had been secretly hoping for something like this. She had always thought that Sasuke and Sakura were a perfect match and that they truly loved each other. At first, she had some suspicions about Sasuke's true feelings toward Sakura, but during this conversation with Naruto she had steadily come to understand that he only felt true love for the girl. Now, this new circumstance was also reason enough for her to actually work behind their backs, together with Naruto, to try to bring them together again. "Okay, I will help you," she finally gave her consent, feeling much better and quite relieved. She no longer felt conflicted by the whole thing, since she now knew that she and Naruto would be doing the right thing.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan, you really are the best!" Naruto's smile brightened his whole face considerably and at last he was able to enjoy his meal in the company of Hinata. He felt a deeply fulfilling emotion now that he could finally put his plans to action. The fact that Hinata would be there beside him made things even better for the enthusiastic boy.

* * *

Itachi was in his office along with Kisame, Deidara and Sasori, all of them discussing the current mission. They were waiting for information concerning the interrogation of the man they had captured. It was no secret that Konan and Nagato's questioning abilities were very much severe, so it wasn't surprising that the interrogation had been prolonged much more than expected.

The sound of approaching footsteps made them stop talking and turn their attention toward the only entrance to the spacious office.

"Itachi, he finally spilled everything," Nagato said, upon entering the office of his leader with Konan and Yahiko walking right behind him. Once he received the approval to continue with whatever it was that he had found out, he explained everything in a very serious way. "That man is really the brother of the man we are after. His name is Takayama Hayate and he was driving that van because his brother had told him to. And apparently he noticed that someone was trailing him."

"Aa. Is there anything else?" Itachi simply asked, with a hard look in his eyes. He definitely expected to hear more.

"Yes, there is. His brother was once involved with Nakamura Osamu," Nagato answered, using his tone to strongly emphasize the importance of that statement. The name he had just uttered was familiar to them all and it meant that things were not very good. If Takayama Ryoga, the paparazzo, was still involved with such a devious criminal mind, then Sakura may have been in much more serious danger than they had previously thought.

The Uchiha straightened his posture as he scrunched his eyebrows in anger. However, his voice remained as cool as ever. "Well, this is certainly getting serious."

Heavy silence followed and no one dared to speak, for they were all focused on their own profound thinking on the matter at hand. That was until Konan decided to state her conclusion, "I believe that he's not planning on returning to his apartment."

Yahiko wasted no time to add his own thoughts to Konan's conclusion, "You might be right, Konan! There must be some people that want him dead, otherwise he wouldn't have taken such precautions."

"He's smarter than we thought," Kisame said a moment later, while looking at Itachi as if waiting for his reaction. He really needed to hear a command, because this was no longer a simple task to just save a damsel in distress. Still, Itachi decided to stay silent. As a matter of fact, he was processing all the information with utmost concentration.

Instead, Deidara spoke, unable to stay silent any longer, "He must be involved in some other criminal activities then." A second later, he added, mostly for good measure, "Nakamura Osamu is not just a common criminal." It was completely unnecessary to state the fact that was already common knowledge to the other occupants in the room, but they were definitely not bothered by it.

"If that's the case, we may have a much more difficult mission on our hands." stated Sasori in a strained voice, finally deciding to open his mouth. It seemed that he was worried for some reason and it was not that difficult to guess that he was thinking of a certain pink-haired girl.

"Aa," Itachi casually agreed with everything that was said so far. "We may even catch a bigger fish in the process." His voice was deep, etched with determination and intensity. He was already forming a plan in his head and it definitely involved a huge risk. Nevertheless, it had to be done. Deciding that it was better to inform the others of his plan later, he proceeded to listen to the conversation going on around him.

"There is only one thing that confuses me," the only woman among them spoke for the second time, openly showing her curiosity. "Why would he work as a paparazzo if he's involved in much more serious activities?"

"I think that he uses it as a cover up for something big," Nagato mused out loud.

"But, he seems way too interested in the girl and it's quite obvious that he wants to ruin her, for some reason or other," Deidara said, believing that it was the most logical conclusion at the moment. After having considered all the factors that had led him toward that way of thinking he couldn't find any other answer.

"Do you remember his criminal history?" Konan asked, as if stating something quite clear. "Haruno is just a candy he wants to crush. We are definitely dealing with a deranged person!" she said this with a tone that was supposed to indicate the seriousness of the situation.

Those words angered the Uchiha to the point where he felt his blood boil. He really didn't want to see that man anywhere near Sakura.

"I won't let him lay a single finger on her!" Sasori was hardly able to hide his own anger in that straightforward proclamation. He promised himself that he would catch that bastard and protect the girl.

"We all know that you won't, yeah!" Deidara was unable to resist his chance to tease him, at which only Kisame reacted with a derisive smirk.

"Just shut your mouth, Deidara." The red head didn't bother to raise his voice, but the look in his eyes was enough to shut the Deidara's mouth.

"I think it's time for me to tell you the plan," Itachi spoke in a harsh voice, displaying severe authority. His eyes were narrowed in an intimidating way, a fact that spoke of his determination to crush the source of his pressing anger.

The others just prepared themselves for the upcoming plan, feeling a rapidly growing anticipation. They really enjoyed missions that promised entertainment.

* * *

In the middle of the night Sasuke was still being bothered by past memories. Moments he shared together with Sakura were steadily, ceaselessly and relentlessly breaking his heart to pieces. He recalled every small gesture of hers that expressed the strong feelings she carried in her heart, feelings reserved just for him. Her ability to be fearless in the face of any intimidating emotion was an amazing thing, while at the same time he was acting just like an immature coward, unable to neither grasp nor face his emotions, not even able to find the words he should say. He felt it was now too late, even if he somehow did manage to find the right words to say to her. If only the love she had for him would never go away.

Finally, he was no longer able to resist the sleep that was threatening to consume him for quite some time now. He drifted off, but the feelings that had been torturing him that entire day never left his system. Maybe that was why his dreams were even worse than the thoughts flowing through his head in his wakefulness.

**~.~.~.~ Dream ~.~.~.~**

An appalling sight was gradually waking up a fear inside him, a fear he never knew existed. The feeling was the worst possible torture, it tore his soul apart, split and cut the strings of his heart and boiled the blood in his veins. In the darkness that surrounded him, barely touched by the light coming from an unknown corner, stood Sakura, all bruised and battered, her clothes torn apart and hanging loosely from her slightly shivering frame. The image of her looking so torn and devastated terrified him. She was barely standing on her feet. Tears were streaming down her cheeks over the paths made by the previous ones that were still glistening in the faint light that illuminated her beautiful face. He was profoundly upset and shaken, yet he also felt an overpowering hatred toward the person responsible for her appearance. The most important feelings, though, were those of intense tenderness and barely controllable urge to help her. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to somehow sort out the havoc running wild in his mind.

Unexpected dread struck his heart the moment he saw a piece of torn cloth in his hand, a piece of cloth from her clothes. A completely different feeling was suddenly roaring up inside his chest, making him feel sick to his stomach. In that very moment he could only see himself as a monster. While the only feelings he felt worthy of then were hatred, revulsion and disgust, Sakura was looking at him with eyes filled with love. He couldn't form a single word, he just kept blankly staring at her.

The next moment, she started to fade away, and it scared him to his core. He didn't want to see her leave, he wanted to reach out to her and free her of the pain she so obviously felt.

"Wait, where are you going?" he desperately spoke, already reaching toward her, but she was moving faster than him. Realization struck him that he was unable to move his legs and was thus powerless to follow her.

"I'm leaving you, Sasuke-kun." He noticed that her voice was exceedingly weak, no doubt caused by her appearance of utter suffering. She looked so hurt and alone, as if she had no one to rely on. He wanted to tell her that he was there, that he would always be there for her, if only she would stay by his side.

"Sakura, please..." he spoke to her, the image of her still fading away.

"I can't stay... you don't love me, Sasuke..." she said and her heartrending tears started falling freely yet again. The immense pain present in her voice was killing him.

Shame, guilt and remorse started welling up inside him. "No, Sakura, please... wait..." He tried once again, but his pleading voice was not heard by the girl.

He felt he was being burned from the inside, torn in every possible direction, covered by immense pain and wrecking despair. He felt that he would no longer be able to endure the overwhelming torment and suffering. He felt he would die. The worst part was that he still wanted to scream out to her, let her know what he felt and beg for her to never leave him and ease his pain. He felt disgusted by himself. Yet, he still kept fighting to reach her with all the strength he could muster, but it was all in vain, her form was continuously fading in the distance. She was disappearing from his sight and he could do nothing to stop her from leaving him.

"I'm sorry! I'm so very sorry! Don't leave me!" he shouted like his life depended on the strength of his voice, but she had already gone.

His mouth felt dry, the air didn't reach his lungs and he felt his windpipe close up painfully. "I'm so sorry," he whispered those last words in the empty space. The only light finally vanished and he was left to stand in complete darkness.

**~.~.~.~**

He woke up with a startled gasp. Seeing his sweat-soaked shirt, he finally grasped what was happening. He had been having a nightmare and he felt even worse than before. He couldn't even dig up a semblance of a positive thought or feeling from his core. His heart was already broken and he felt like the ripped pieces of his soul were constricting around the jagged pieces of his heart, causing him a most immeasurable pain. Remembering the dreadful vision of Sakura from his nightmare made him dread his next encounter with her. Seeing her in his dream, standing in the dark with hurt so evident in her eyes, was like experiencing the worst déjà vu. It made him relive the night when he had just stood and watched her soul cry, without even trying to understand her pain. Once again he found himself feeling like the lowliest and cruelest monster. He felt he would never be able to look at her again. He felt that whatever look he would see in her eyes would be the cause of his death, a most agonizing one at that.

* * *

Sasuke was seated at the kitchen counter with a plate of breakfast in front of him. He barely ate anything, but he poked the meal in complete unawareness of what was going on around him. He was deeply immersed in his own thoughts, so he didn't even notice that Itachi had entered the kitchen and taken a seat across from him.

"Sasuke, is something bothering you?" Itachi asked, not liking the look in Sasuke's eyes. He was aware that the unguarded look in his brother's eyes was not intentional and that worried him. It was definitely not in his character to let his emotions show so unguardedly for anyone to see, so he could safely conclude that something was definitely wrong with Sasuke. The fact that he didn't receive an immediate response was another thing pointing toward the same conclusion. He scrunched his eyebrows in worry and just when he was about to ask the same question, Sasuke lifted his head to look at him.

"Did you just say something, Itachi?" he asked, sounding utterly unfocused, as if he had just awoken from an unpleasant dream.

Itachi just looked at him for a long moment and just when he was about to read the emotion in Sasuke's eyes, the usual wall was back again. He looked so guarded with the normal blank expression on his face, a fact Itachi didn't like at all.

"I asked if there was something that was bothering you," he stated simply, already trying to gauge the expression on Sasuke's face, but nothing happened.

"Hn," he grunted as he stared blankly in front of himself, still playing with the food before him.

Itachi was no fool, so he took that as a positive answer. "So, there is." As he almost whispered those words, he started wondering what could possibly have happened to make Sasuke look like the world had just been dropped on his shoulders.

His words, no matter how silently spoken, were heard by the devastated teenager. "Drop it, Itachi. I really don't want to talk about it," he said, all the while intentionally avoiding Itachi's piercing stare. He really felt he was under the serious scrutiny of his own brother and he didn't like it one bit.

Itachi was just about to speak, but the ringing of Sasuke's mobile phone prevented him from following his intention. However, once he noticed Sasuke's reaction upon seeing the caller ID, he figured that he would receive his answer in the very next moment.

Sasuke placed the small device to his ear, but the small movement was very hesitant. "Sakura…" he breathed out her name heavily, sounding much too strained.

The girl on the other line was too excited to actually notice that he had greeted her in such a way. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun! How are you?" she cheerfully spoke to him.

The sound of her voice startled him, a detail that didn't escape Itachi's notice. Sasuke felt terrible pain consume his being, mostly because the images of his nightmare flashed through his head.

He needed a few seconds before he found the strength in himself to actually answer her question. "I'm okay, Sakura." He wondered why he chose that particular answer, because the moment it left his lips he felt like he was offering her reassurance about something. Suddenly, he realized that he was trying to reassure himself that he was okay and that nothing was making him feel bad even in the slightest. Before he could stop himself, he asked her, "How are you?" He was reminded of his dream and the hurt he witnessed in her eyes seared his insides, so he just wanted to hear an answer that could ease the sudden feeling of agony that overwhelmed him even a little bit.

"I'm great." She said, answering his question. She was a bit taken aback that he had asked about her wellbeing, but she quickly dismissed the thought. "Sasuke-kun, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" He couldn't will himself to speak anything more than what was necessary. Though, he did notice that the sound of her cheerful voice was melting some of the tension he felt. She was slowly making him forget the memories of the dream.

"Well, you remember that I have a photo shoot today, right?" she hesitantly spoke, hoping that he did remember what she had told him about a few days ago.

"Hn," he grunted in response, desperately wanting to hear her speak again.

"Could you come pick me up after it's finished? I can write the address in a message." She wished that he would give her a positive answer, because she really wanted to see him and the strange thing was that she didn't even know why she felt that way, and so suddenly even.

He barely noticed that he had released a huge breath of air once she had stopped talking. "Sure," he gave her his answer, already feeling kind of elated. He had also just realized that she had called him at the right time, exactly when he needed to be soothed by her. It seemed that she always knew what he needed, without even hearing him ask for it.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed excitedly, before confessing what lay on her heart at that moment. "I can't wait to see you. I really miss you."

He was so surprised by her words, that he couldn't for the life of him figure out what else to say, so he settled for a simple, "Aa."

"Okay, so I'll see you then," she said in a final tone, showing her immense exuberance. Her happiness was due to only one reason - the opportunity to see him later that day.

"See you later, Sakura." It was hard for him to say goodbye to her, especially since he had just realized how much he needed her. However, he was thankful that he at least got this short moment where he could be graced with a bit of happiness, relieving him a little from the feelings that had been killing his soul since yesterday. After his conversation with Sakura, he really couldn't wait to see her. Apparently she had managed to somewhat suppress his fear of facing her.

The moment Sasuke placed his cell phone on the counter and released a heavy breath of air, as if trying to alleviate his anxiety, Itachi addressed him, "Is everything okay?"

"Just leave me alone, Itachi," he answered in a dismissive way, not feeling in the mood for any type of conversation with his brother. He especially wasn't comfortable talking about his own feelings with Itachi.

"Fine, I will," the older Uchiha spoke in an understanding tone. However, he felt the necessity to say something else, mindful that Sasuke seemed to be dealing with things that immensely confused and bothered him. "But Sasuke, remember that I am here if you need me." After saying those words, he left without turning to look at his younger brother. He knew that if Sasuke ever wished to speak with someone, he would only do that of his own free will.

* * *

The teen star was already on set for the photo shoot, anxiously waiting to see her manager. They both had an extremely busy schedule the past two weeks, so they had barely been able to find a chance to see each other. Someone would think that being a manager, one should spend the entire time with their client, but that was definitely not how things worked with Sakura and Tsunade. While the woman had to attend meetings that concerned Sakura's future projects, the girl had to work hard in order to successfully accomplish them. Being a teen star was not an easy task, especially if you had to keep up with the school work as well.

Upon arriving on set, Tsunade spotted her protégée and was already walking toward her. It appeared that the girl was lost in her thoughts; she still hadn't even noticed the approaching woman. Sakura should have already recognized the familiar clinking of Tsunade's high heels, but the fact that she hadn't, told Tsunade that the girl was daydreaming.

"Hey there, award nominee," Tsunade whispered from behind her, accomplishing the task of startling the young girl.

Sakura turned to look at the woman, her mind still recovering from the shock. In the next instant, though, she registered what she had just heard and she placed her hands over her face. Feeling utterly embarrassed, she said, "Don't make me blush, I feel far too overwhelmed for words."

The woman just smiled fondly and reached to envelop the girl in a warm hug. As the gesture was kindly welcomed by the girl, she gently whispered, "Congratulations, Sakura! You absolutely deserve it."

"Thank you, Tsunade. I wouldn't have made it without you or the company or any of the producers." She was being completely honest and she felt compelled to express her gratitude.

"This is the kind of success we're all looking forward to," Tsunade said in quite a boastful way. After all, the record company that stood behind Sakura was one of the biggest in Japan and they had always strived for great successes. It was no wonder they always wanted to sign contracts with talented people that appreciated and loved music. "Mashima was positively stunned! He's flying from Los Angeles especially for you, so he can congratulate you in person," she added a moment later, a fond smile gracing her red colored lips.

"Really? That's just so nice!" exclaimed Sakura, positively astonished.

"How are things with you? Are there any news?" Tsunade asked in a casual tone, but she was quite interested to hear what the girl had to say.

"I am almost finished with the song, but I'm struggling with the music because I want it to be perfect," Sakura was referring to the song she had to write for the Music Awards.

"So, you found your inspiration?" Tsunade asked, her elegant eyebrows slightly raised. It was normal for her to be a bit surprised, because just a week before, Sakura had still been complaining about her lack of inspiration.

"You can say that," she answered, a small blush forming on her cheeks, something that the experienced woman easily noticed.

Seeing the girl react that way, she decided to tease her a bit. "Do I even need to ask what, or rather _who_ it was that inspired you this time?" she voiced her question in quite the playful tone, as her half-smile revealed her suspicion.

"Tsunade, don't be so mean to me," Sakura spoke in a quiet voice, the blush on her cheeks intensifying. She suddenly felt like she should never have confessed to her manager that the one person that inspired her to write all her songs was Uchiha Sasuke.

Taking note of Sakura's shyness concerning her songwriting, she decided to change the subject and just the perfect thought came to her mind. "By the way, I saw the pictures of you and Takeshi in the papers. Is there anything I should know about you two?" Her question was serious and her voice indicated that she didn't like the idea of her and Takeshi sharing anything more than a simple friendship.

"No, that was strictly professional," Sakura reassured her, because she actually noticed the worry in Tsunade's honey colored eyes. "He wrote a song for us and it's absolutely amazing. He is really very talented." She could hardly hide the sudden excitement that wholly overwhelmed her, simply because she could hardly wait to enter the recording studio and finally sing that song with him. Feeling quite eager to see it finished made her very excited.

It appeared that this proclamation surprised Tsunade very much, because she then asked, trying not to sound accusing, "I thought that you were the one that was supposed to write the song?" The accusation was obviously directed at someone else and not Sakura, but it slipped out, nonetheless.

"I already finished mine. However, he surprised me with a song of his own, too. He said he had got a sudden inspiration, and just had to write it," she answered in a careless tone, showing that she really didn't mind.

That same information, though, made her manager particularly angry. This was a major deal and there were rules that had to be followed and the way Takeshi and his manager were acting was completely unprofessional. "Shiori told me nothing! I will give him a little piece of my mind, but first I'll have to make some changes to the deal we all signed," her voice was raised a notch, while her eyes were narrowed in irritation. "I'll call Shiori immediately to arrange a meeting."

A man, who appeared quite gallant and effeminate in his appearance, came to stand beside Sakura and addressed her, "Sakura, sweetie, come to the studio with me!" She knew the man was assigned to do her hair and make-up, which he himself confirmed with his next words, "We need to work on your hair and make-up." His voice sounded slightly girlish and he also moved his hands in a very feminine way.

After nodding slightly to the man, she smiled and turned to look at her manager. "Tsunade, I have to go," she said, as she mentally prepared herself for the treatment that awaited her. She had a feeling that this was going to be better than all the makeovers she had had so far in the short length of her career. Earlier that morning when she had been given a briefing on the details of the photo shoot, she realized that this was going to be one of those really amazing magazine projects.

"Okay, I'll be in the hall, but I'll be back for the photo shoot!" Tsunade called out in a hurry, already giving her undivided attention to her Blackberry. The next instant she was already walking away, leaving Sakura and the man behind.

He led her toward the make-up parlor and once she was seated in the quite comfortable chair, he playfully asked her, "Are you ready to get photographed?" and smiled at her.

Sakura had a feeling that he was a really nice person, so she smiled back at him. "I'm more than ready," she confessed in all honesty — she truly believed she would enjoy this. She had never been invited to such an important photo shoot and it definitely made her feel quite ecstatic. "The clothes are amazing; the magazine stylist has such an amazing taste," she added enthusiastically.

"I already saw them, but I can't wait to see them on you," he said in a conversational manner, but he did look amazed by what he had seen earlier. The clothes were especially picked for Sakura and were quite expensive and from the latest designer collections.

"I'm absolutely awed! I wonder how I'll look with the make-up and everything." She was really curious about the outcome. Her face was supposed to be on the cover of the magazine and she had to admit that it made her nervous.

"After I'm done with you, you won't even recognize yourself," he told her before he started working on her hair. He was in serious working mode for the entirety of the two hours he worked on her hair and make-up.

The moment she saw herself in the huge mirror she couldn't believe she was looking at herself. The make-up was so sophisticated, especially with the light wine-red lipstick accentuating her lips in a sensual way. Her eyes were beautifully intensified by the make-up and she was unable to stop staring at herself. She never knew that the green color of her eyes could look so compelling. They seemed like small jewels. Her hair was a completely different story, but it added wonderfully to this new and exciting look.

She couldn't stop herself, so she praised the man that stood behind her, feeling that it was the least she could do, "You are really skilled!"

"I just accentuated the most alluring features on your face, so it's safe to say that your beauty was the basis for this work of art," he simply stated, as if commenting on the weather.

She didn't agree with him at all. "But, I look nothing like this, even when I put make-up on."

"Well, I'm a professional, and that is why you notice a slight difference," he said back.

"Slight is an understatement!" she corrected in a voice full of astonishment.

"Okay, I think it's time you got dressed," he said, but he had to drag her away from the mirror, chuckling softly.

Once she put on the first set of clothes, she prepared herself for the photo shoot. The moment she stood in front of the camera, the photographer had already started giving her instructions. He told her where to stand and what to do, while he carefully thought about the lighting he would use.

"Sweetie, you look so beautiful! I have a feeling that the pictures will be absolutely wonderful," the photographer said, while preparing his camera.

In the next few hours he took pictures and Sakura posed in different sets of clothes. By the end of it, she felt thoroughly exhausted. When she was allowed to, she washed her face and changed in her own clothes and not a moment later Sasuke showed up at the set.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she greeted him with a smile on her face, despite feeling utterly tired.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked her with a very soft voice. He still remembered his nightmare quite vividly and, oddly, he felt afraid that he would hurt her, so he decided to tread very carefully.

"Don't take me home, please... not yet," she pleaded in a soft tone, the look in her eyes remarkably gentle. That look made him stare at her, transfixed and completely unable to speak. So, he just opened the car door for her and then asked, "Where would you like to go?"

"Do you remember that beautiful place you used to take me to?" she asked a bit hesitantly, aware that she was openly inviting him to recall all the beautiful moments they had shared in the past. They were still in a relationship when they used to visit the beautiful park. The way she saw it, the setting was exceptionally romantic, with the many beautiful flowers enhancing the feeling of calmness that the secluded clearing exuded. The surrounding dark green trees only made the atmosphere comfortably mysterious.

"Yes, I remember," he answered in a voice too silent for his usual manner of speaking. He was instantly reminded of the enjoyable feeling that he felt every time he used to spend time with her. She really made him feel things that were difficult to describe with words and just now he was becoming even more aware of that. The fresh feelings that had been tearing his heart to pieces for the past two days and these old memories that flew through his mind, causing him vertigo, made him feel like the searing pain in his chest was coming from two opposite directions.

Sakura saw something flicker in his dark eyes for a short moment and it looked like he was feeling tormented. Staring at his eyes for a few long seconds, she just wanted to reach out and give him a hug that hopefully would help him realize that he wasn't alone and that she'd always be there to erase any unpleasant feelings. She just realized that he would probably just try to push her away, so she gave him an answer instead, "Well, you can take me there." She hoped that in the next few hours he'd forget about whatever it was that evoked those feelings within him, just by not being alone.

When they arrived at the familiar spot, they noticed that the smell surrounding them was just as inviting and refreshing as it always used to be. At that moment, they both found themselves reliving the same vivid memories which evoked unsettling feelings deep within them both. She felt something flutter in her chest, especially after she cast a small glance in his direction. Just by seeing him standing there next to her in this place that meant so much to them both, made her feel thrilled. If by any chance her eyes had stayed focused on his face for a bit longer she might have noticed that he was not experiencing the same joy.

On the contrary, Sasuke wasn't coping well with the situation, because the guilt that had been eating him up, just then decided to intensify to an unbearable point. Having to remember those times when he had made promises to her that were supposed to last for all eternity, only to break them so thoughtlessly, was crushingly painful. He could hardly believe he had actually done something as terrible as breaking her heart and ruining her chance to really enjoy her dreams, when he had promised the exact opposite. The sudden realization that he had actually crushed his own dreams along with hers was even more excruciating.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun!" she called joyfully and took his hand. When in the middle of the clearing, she released his hand and spun in a circle while staring up at the beautiful twilit sky. She giggled, feeling utterly content, while he looked at her with sadness emanating from his dark eyes.

He felt his heart break at the sight yet again — how could it keep breaking over and over and over again, each time more painfully than the last. He really wanted to see her happy, but the images from his nightmare kept disturbing him. Images of her hurt to the point where her pain was dulling even the beautiful and always vibrant green color of her eyes. Now that he knew he had made her feel that way, he was having trouble finding the strength to fight against the remorse that had been relentlessly torturing him, as if it would never leave him be.

In the next instant she was already seated on the grass, breathing a bit faster than normal, but the wide smile was still stretched along her face. Then, she looked at him and affectionately said, "Sasuke-kun, come sit with me." His now battered heart somehow managed to skip a beat and he decided to try and forget about his torment for at least one evening and give her what she wanted. So, he sat right next to her and smiled slightly in return. His smile was actually very soft and genuine, something that made Sakura especially glad.

"This is really nice, Sasuke-kun. Wouldn't you agree?" As she spoke, the smile never left her face and she looked at him expectantly.

"Aa," he gave his consent in a soft tone, before adding, "It's really nice."

They lay there, on the soft grass, talking about stupid things and laughing at times — Sakura being the one that laughed, while Sasuke was content, merely listening to her voice. Actually, he was unable to take his mind off the fact that he had broken her heart. It was very difficult for him to just act like it was no big deal and just move on. He wanted to be alone and he wanted to be punished with loneliness for causing her heartache. However, after seeing her so relaxed he found that he couldn't bring himself to ask her to leave. Nothing seemed right to him, except the fact that she needed this, needed to be with him. She must have had a reason to ask him to bring her here, after all. In reality, he understood her perfectly; he knew that she just wanted to escape the overwhelming reality of being a teen star.

Time passed and he became lost in his thoughts, while she was enjoying the silence. Having him there with her was enough for her. She liked the fact that they were strengthening their friendship, but mostly she felt like things were finally the way they were supposed to be. The sad thing was that she had no idea what Sasuke was feeling at the moment.

Staring up at the twinkling stars, Sakura asked in a soft tone, "Sasuke-kun?"

He turned to look at her, noticing that she had a dreamy look, probably thinking of something tremendously pleasing. She was, actually, really happy to have this moment to herself, to escape the tiresome daily activities. She didn't hate her lifestyle or anything, but it was quite tiresome sometimes, and moments like this one allowed her a little relaxation. She could enjoy herself.

"Hn," he finally grunted in response, urging her to speak.

"Do you believe in whishing upon a falling star?" Even as she asked, she was still gazing at the night sky, feeling appeased by the sight. She didn't know what really possessed her to ask such a question, but at the moment it seemed like the right thing to do. Maybe Sasuke was not the right person for this type of casual conversation, but she didn't really care. She felt exceptionally happy about spending some time with him, without being bothered by past memories.

He took some time to muse over the question, mostly because of its meaning, but then he answered in a casual tone, "No." His answer might have been short, but his feelings rose to something more intense at the moment he had heard her question. It was as if she had given him a reason to think about the whole meaning behind something as simple as a wish. He turned his head to the side, feeling a sudden urge to look at her and when he did his eyes were glued to the sight. Her delicate features were appealingly illuminated by the moonlight, which was also the reason for the rather alluring radiance of her body. His mind was overwhelmed by memories, and he felt a strong need to be by Sakura's side for all time and he knew that it would make him truly happy. He could recognize the growing desire, and he found himself wishing that he could at least hold her in his arms. '_I could really use a wish right now_,' he thought, as he kept staring at her, wondering if by wishing upon a star he would have his wish, especially since it seemed like his last hope.

He could feel small tingles crawling under his skin, intensifying the fire that burned inside his chest. His fingers itched to touch her skin, so he had to clench them round his knee in order to contain his inappropriate thoughts. It appeared to be very difficult, though, for the usually cool Uchiha. He pressed his lips together in annoyance because of everything that she made him feel at the moment. The sudden movement of his head, when he willed himself to look away from her, surprised Sakura. She wasn't even aware that he was looking at her so intently, so when she noticed his tense posture she became quite confused.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" She reached out to touch his cheek, willing to look into his eyes. It brought pain to her chest when he swatted her hand away, even though he only did it just to be able to hold on to his control, which he felt was slipping away. She pushed all her unpleasant feelings away and looked at him with a sad expression. Seeing him like this brought familiar, but disturbing feelings. She knew that he was bothered by something.

'_I don't need this, I already ruined everything._' He was confused and he was aware how seriously messed up he truly was ever since he had realized that it had been entirely his fault. The brand new wall he built between himself and her was now there because of the terrible fear that consumed his being whenever he looked at her. He didn't want to see her hurt and apparently hurting her was all he could do.

"What's wrong? Please, talk to me." The severe pleading in her soft voice gripped his soul, wickedly promising to never let him go. He wanted to say it all, to tell her how he truly felt about her, but he resisted the agonizing longing he felt with a crushed heart.

"Hn, I'm fine," he spoke in a detached way, refusing to let anything slip away. "Let's go, I'll take you home." He sat up and walked alongside her to the car, refusing to even glance at her.

Sakura's own heart was sinking. She knew that he was hiding something — he was desperately trying to keep it to himself and stay cool. However, the second she got to look into his darkened eyes, it became clear to her that he was hurting, for some reason. It pained her to realize that she wouldn't be the one to spare him from that feeling, simply because he seemed completely unwilling to say anything to her.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N:** If anyone wishes to know which award categories Sakura is nominated in, here they are:

_Best New Artist_

_Best Pop Artist_

_Best Female Artist_

_Best Song_

_Best Live Performance_

_Best Video_


	9. Chapter 5: Love & Regret III

**A/N:** I sincerely apologize for the late update! I know that there is nothing that I can possibly do to repay you for being patient with me and I completely understand if some of you decided to give up on this story.

The song used in this chapter is _"Something in Your Mouth"_ by _Nickelback_.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, nor any of the songs used in this chapter.

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Someone Wake Me Up**

_**5**__**th**__** Chapter:**_ _Love & Regret_

_-part 3__-_

The girls were out in the city, with one sole intention in mind. They wanted to spend some quality time alone, without the boys hanging by their side. They planned this day for weeks and once it was finally here, they wanted to fully enjoy it.

First, they had a prolonged breakfast at their favorite restaurant, while chattering like crazy. Then, they eagerly proceeded with the plan for the day, which mostly centered on visiting the clothing stores.

As they walked toward one of the stores, something caught the blonde's attention. She did not waste any time, as she stepped closer to the magazine stall. Her friends just proceeded walking and stopped in front of a store window. She ignored them, or rather her attention was directed somewhere else.

Ino grabbed the magazine and held it right in front of her face. Her eyes were rounded in astonishment because of what she saw on the cover page. If the picture of Takeshi and Sakura holding hands wasn't enough, then the shocking headline definitely was. Without a second thought she flipped through the pages in search for the matching article. The instant she spotted an even greater number of pictures she was even more astounded. Then, she skimmed over the written text, as she desperately tried to process the information.

…_Who would have guessed! Our favorite teen idols are actually more than just friends…_

…_It appears that their collaboration is just a cover up and the truth is that they are very much in love…_

…_They were spotted holding hands in a secluded corner at Takeshi's favorite café 'Hanabira'. If that isn't the proof we all waited, then what is..._

…_We wouldn't be surprised if they decided to show up as a couple at the forthcoming Music Awards…_

After gaining enough self-control, she finally shouted after her best friend, "Sakura, have you seen this?" She looked up in search for her best friend's face, wanting to see her reaction to the news.

However, Sakura had just recovered from staring at a beautiful display of coats, so her expression was one of slight confusion. "What?" she asked, while looking at the blonde with a somewhat questioning look.

"The new issue of _Celebrity Gossip_," Ino pointed out, while she lifted the magazine for Sakura.

Once the pink-haired girl realized the gravity of the situation, she already made a move to take the magazine from Ino. "Let me see." As she held it in between her tightly clenched fingers, she scrunched up her eyebrows in slight irritation. The picture did not offer the same amount of annoyance for her as the headline did.

'_**Sakura goes out on a secret date with Takeshi!'**_

She really could not believe that they would twist the truth into a lie, suitable enough to guarantee enough issue sales. At first she thought that they would only put the picture in the magazine, but she never thought that false accusations would come out of it as well. Despite that, she told herself that she should not be surprised at all. A moment later she huffed irritably, "I should have expected this."

Tenten took the magazine out of Sakura's hands and once she read the heading her eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean you should have expected it?" she asked, already feeling slightly confused.

"I saw the paparazzi hiding in the bushes, but it was already too late," Sakura explained, her facial expression changing into one of defeat. She already felt tired of the number of lies that were being constantly shed out in the press about her.

"What?" Ino shrieked, while she piercingly stared at Sakura. "Forehead, are you trying to say that this bullshit is true?"

Sakura did not like the look of accusation she received from her best friend, so she really could not help herself when she glared in return. "Of course not, Ino-pig!" she shot back indignantly. Then, after taking a calming breath, she tried to explain in a calm tone, "We were discussing the songs we wrote and that is exactly when I noticed the paparazzi."

"But, why is he holding your hand?" Tenten asked, while still looking at the pictures in a way that seemed like she was inspecting something.

"I have no idea," Sakura answered truthfully. She shrugged nonchalantly and added, "I guess that's just how Takeshi is."

"Oh, so he's a touchy-feely guy, huh?" Ino teased her friend, feeling quite smug. She really could not resist the temptation to make a joke out of it. After all, she was rarely presented with such an opportunity.

"Shut up! You are not amusing," Sakura replied in a mocking way, before adding for a good measure, "And, for the record, I took my hand away." Afterward, she crossed her hands in front of her chest and held her head high in a dignifying way. At that moment she felt the necessity to defend her honor.

"I am really sorry, Sakura-chan," Hinata hesitantly whispered. The usually shy girl was not very fond of the entire situation, especially since this did not bode well for the plan she had with Naruto. At that moment, she just hoped that Sasuke won't believe a word of those lies.

"Hinata, don't worry," Sakura addressed her in a reassuring way, while she also waved her hand as if dismissing the entire issue aside. "It's not that big of a deal."

The type of reaction coming from Sakura offered some form of reassurance for Hinata. She believed that since Sakura was not worried, then it could only mean that there was nothing going on between her and Takeshi and that she was not even considering the possibility.

Nevertheless, Ino just had to ruin everything by sharing her thoughts with her friends, "If you ask me, I will say that even a fake relationship with Takeshi is more than welcome." As she said that, a mischievous smile stretched upon her face, but for an entirely different reason than the others perceived.

"Ino, you are so bad!" Tenten said, her voice filled with disapproval.

Ino jokingly accepted the comment, mostly because she was in a fairly good mood. "Thank you for the compliment, Tenten," she sweetly said, inclining her head in fake gratitude.

"That wasn't a compliment," Tenten shot back, even if she caught onto the fact that Ino was enjoying herself a bit too much, despite the seriousness of the situation. Suddenly, she decided to turn her attention toward the pink-haired girl. "Sakura, you actually allow this?" she asked inquisitively.

"It's not like I can stop it," Sakura answered without a second thought. She was already used to these types of situations and she already went through a couple of discussions with Tsunade concerning the possible escape routes ― and it was already proved they were close to zero.

"Well, is there any way to at least tell the truth?" Hinata asked, already hoping for a positive answer.

"Other than my tweets, there is no other way," Sakura said, her facial features twisting into a thoughtful expression. Despite all the previous attempts, she still tried to think of any other possible way, but she was once again left with nothing.

"What about your manager?" Tenten suddenly asked, her eyes beaming expectantly.

Sakura sighed in defeat, before giving her explanation in a fairly soft tone, "She can't give a statement about every single lie they put in those magazines."

Ino did not like the glum atmosphere that was going on around her, so she decided to break it. "I think that if we look at this from an entirely different perspective, it can be quite positive," she spoke, her tone of voice taking on a cheerful note. Her eyes shined in some sort of a triumphant way.

Apparently, Tenten recognized that look, so she exclaimed knowingly, "Oh, I know that look!"

"What look?" Ino asked, while trying her best to play innocent.

The brown-haired girl just shook her head and smiled wickedly at her blonde friend. "The look that clearly says that there is something incredibly evil on your mind," she spoke accusingly.

Ino just laughed in return, before confessing, "Okay, I will admit that there is something going through my mind, but I wouldn't call it _entirely_ evil." However, her eyes shined in a suggestive manner.

"So, spill!" Tenten urged her to speak with an eager voice, while Hinata and Sakura exchanged a knowing look. After all, this type of behavior was quite usual for Ino.

"What could possibly be positive about this?" Sakura couldn't help but ask, her tone displaying her frustration.

"Our dear ice-cube, we all know and love as Sasuke-_kun_, will combust out of jealousy the moment he sees these pictures," Ino spoke, her eyes glinting in an almost wicked way. It was not that she wanted to see him suffer, but she thought that this could come as a good lesson for him.

"Ino!" Sakura shrieked in open horror. She was entirely disturbed just by thinking about such a possibility. For now, she was quite pleased with being just friends with Sasuke. Every though that would lead her astray from those calming thoughts was not very welcome for her, especially at this very moment.

"What? It's true," Ino defended her previous statement with assured tone, while lifting her eyebrows in slight disbelief evoked by the various reactions she received in return.

Tenten snorted a laugh, feeling positively amused despite Sakura's discomfort, while Hinata was left speechless. In reality, she felt sorry for Sasuke after hearing his side of the story from Naruto. At that moment she just hoped that their plan will help them get back.

* * *

Sasuke jaw was tense, while he clenched the magazine in his hands. What he just saw there was enough to make him feel even worse than before. It was not surprising that the written words served as an added irritation for him.

The blond that was sitting across from him, looked at him with noticeable compassion. He could only imagine what was going through his head at this moment. There was a part of him that regretted for deciding to bring the magazine with him and showing it to Sasuke. However, a bigger part of him thought that his decision was the right one. After all, it was bound for the Uchiha to eventually stumble upon the pictures and he thought that it would be better if he was there with him when that happened.

On the other hand, there was something else that disturbed him more. The expression on Sasuke's face was as dejected as the day he found out the cruel truth. He started to believe that the news he just gave him, that centered on Sakura and Takeshi, made everything worse. It was obvious that it added oil to the already burning flames.

"So, how are you coping with this?" Naruto could not help but ask. There was a hidden meaning behind that question and it did not settle only on today's event. He just wanted to know if Sasuke was still thinking about the break-up with Sakura. After giving it some thought he started to doubt that anything might have changed in the prospect of a few days. That was proved by the way Sasuke acted ever since the moment he found out about Sakura's reasons. Apparently, it was hard for him to not put the entire blame on himself.

Naruto's thoughts were somewhat justified once he received a disinterested grunt in response from his friend, "Hn."

Naruto understood that the magazine photos were the least of Sasuke's problems at the moment, even if it was quite obvious that he was disturbed by them. Despite that, the blond chose to avoid the subject of their recent discovery and never speak of the source of Sasuke's initial torment. If this subject brought less pain to his friend, he would rather try to speak about it and offer at least some sort of assurance.

"I think that this is bullshit! Sakura-chan loves only you," he spoke with an assured voice. By saying that he wanted to offer at least some comfort, so he tried to say something that would proffer the same sentiment, but wouldn't have to be directly involved with the issue that bothered Sasuke. "I mean, she always has."

Sasuke was not convinced, even though he did notice the hints of comfort Naruto tried to give him. He was grateful that his friend thought of cheering him up, but there was hardly something that could make him feel less forlorn. "You are right, Naruto. However, I don't think that she still does," he said with a heavy voice. He could only hope that he wasn't the reason for their break-up or for hurting her ― his precious Sakura ― but the painful reality spoke otherwise. He already started to feel awful, as the guilt began to eat him up from inside.

Naruto did not like the words that just left his mouth or the way he sounded while saying them. After a long moment filled with nothing but silence, which he did not take well, he decided to do something about this situation. "Sasuke, please say something," he pleaded with him, feeling severe dislike toward Sasuke's empty expression.

Sasuke inhaled slowly, which seemed like an attempt to settle his emotions. After taking a moment to clear his mind, he asked with a defeated voice, "What do you want me to say, Naruto?"

"Anything," Naruto replayed instantly, while lifting his hand in the air as if trying to elicit some sort of reaction from his friend just by that mere gesture. Receiving nothing in return, he just slumped in his seat and raised his voice. "Just don't go all quiet and broody like that!" His tone was unintentionally accusing, but it was barely noticeable.

However, Sasuke wouldn't have paid attention to it even if it was pronounced, as he just grunted in response, "Hn."

Naruto's eyebrows narrowed in dissatisfaction. "See, you are doing it again," he spoke with much more emotion in his tone.

"Naruto…" Sasuke uttered his name in some sort of an insistent tone. "Just leave me alone." Sasuke tried to dismiss him. He really hoped for a moment of peace and quiet, because he felt a necessity to devote to his own thoughts in silence.

Naruto shook his head, before speaking in conviction, "Being alone is the last thing you need right now." Then, he took his cell phone and dialled a number that was on his speed dial.

Sasuke lifted his head and looked at his friend with open curiosity. "Dobe, what are you doing?"

"I'm calling the guys," Naruto spoke, a huge smile spreading on his lips. He had a look of immense eagerness on his face.

"What for?" Sasuke asked, sounding surprised. His eyebrows were narrowed in slight dissatisfaction, mostly because he was irritated by his friend's persistence. He really wasn't in the mood for anything that was out of the blue, especially not something that was Naruto's idea.

"You'll see," Naruto answered back with a somewhat cheerful voice. He did not plan to let Sasuke brood and wallow in guilt for much longer. In his opinion, there was always a remedy for a broken heart.

* * *

Shouts were heard from the backyard at the Inuzuka household. The boys were playing a game of basketball and apparently things were getting a bit too tense in the match.

"So what if I named it Rasengan?" Naruto shouted, looking quite offended. He finally had the chance to use his new move and no one seemed to appreciate it. On the contrary, they all laughed at him. He thought that he gave it a really cool name, but his friends said that it was stupid and he really felt affronted because of that.

"You're ridiculous," said Neji, complete coolness radiating off of him. He really could not contain himself from commenting, because ― in his opinion ― the fact that Naruto named it was utterly absurd and unnecessary. However, he had to admit that the move was quite impressive. It was hard to defend against it, because of the swift way Naruto moved and the complexity of the way he controlled the ball. He had to give it to the fool for thinking of something so unique.

"Whatever, like I give a damn what you think!" Naruto said, but his mood plummeted considerably. He really hoped that they would be impressed and it apparently did not happen.

"Naruto, I think that it was a very youthful thing to do." Lee felt the need to compliment his efforts, since he always thought that when someone tried to achieve something and actually succeeded in doing so, he deserved to at least be praised. In his opinion the move was something that should be definitely appreciated.

"Lee, why the hell are you encouraging his stupidity?" Kiba asked, his voice displaying arrogance like his estimation always mattered. He really thought that sometimes the youth-loving boy was even more stupid than the blonde.

"Shut your mouth, _Kiba_!" Naruto yelled at him, his glare intensifying tenfold. He took a seat at the ground right next to his best friend, who didn't really look like he was in the mood for anything. Even the others noticed that Sasuke was not showing his usual enthusiasm when playing basketball.

Naruto just decided to ignore Kiba, so he diverted his attention toward his friend. "Sasuke, how are you feeling?" he asked with concern latched to his voice. Then, he tried to read at least one emotion in Sasuke's eyes, but he was shot with disappointment when he saw the blank look in them.

"Never been better," he answered without looking at his friend, the sarcasm in his voice being an unintentional mistake. He really did not want to be interrogated or reminded about the things that made him feel like he was the biggest bastard that ever existed.

"Are you thinking about the new photos?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He felt heavy disappointment because of his inability to help his friend overcome the feeling of despondency.

"Aa," Sasuke responded simply. However, that was not the only thing that occupied his mind at the moment.

"Don't worry! Sakura-chan could never fall for a guy like that," Naruto said with assurance, unable to stop himself. He was somewhat fed up with everything, especially with that idiot and his constant meddling in someone else's life. He really hated Takeshi for trying to stand in between his friends and ruin the chance they had for making up. "I mean, she has you and he hardly compares," he added for good measurement, shooting daggers at the pompous jerk inside his mind.

"Yeah, right," Sasuke answered, hints of the irritation he felt slipping out on the open.

"You don't have to believe me," stated Naruto simply, while adding in his own mind, '_You will eventually._' He was assured that things will work out, especially since he already promised to himself that he will make sure that it happens.

"Every girl in Japan worships the ground he walks upon." Shikamaru was the one that spoke, while leaning against the backboard post. He kept his eyes on the skies above him, enjoying his favorite pastime even while standing. After a short pause, he continued, his tone lazy, but his eyebrows were scrunched in slight irritation, "I witnessed Ino's reaction when his name was mentioned, and it wasn't a pleasant sight."

"Shikamaru, you are not helping!" Naruto shouted, wanting to prevent any additional reasons that could easily become a source of discomfort for Sasuke, no matter how small and insignificant they might've sounded. That is why he chose to say something in order to negate Shikamaru's words. "Besides, if Sasuke shows his face at least once on the internet, the net server will crash."

Kiba observed the entire exchange, but he just decided to stay quiet, until he heard Naruto's interesting comment. "Since when are you so smart?" he asked, his lips twisted in a half smile. By the look on his face, it was clear that he was amused.

"What do you mean? I am smart," Naruto shot back, sounding a bit offended.

"Heh," Kiba chuckled mockingly.

"Hell, Neji can accomplish that. Sasuke will make a chaos of immense proportions!" Shikamaru finally commented on Naruto's interesting way of comparing Sasuke with Takeshi.

"I am scared of that thought," Kiba admitted.

"Too bad those paparazzi didn't catch even a glimpse of his face. We would have known what will be like if million of girls saw him," Choji joked, but it wasn't interpreted as a joke, especially not by the obnoxious blond.

Naruto punched a fist in his open palm. "We just have to find a way to display a picture of him in the public." The expression on Naruto's face was one of severe accomplishment. It appeared that he praised his own ability to think of a perfect plan at the right time.

"I agree! Takeshi has to go down!" Kiba agreed with him, which was one of the rare times he actually did that. Usually they were the ones that argued on regular basis, but he really enjoyed this.

"Don't even think about it," Sasuke spoke, a heavy glare directed at all of them. He was beyond irritated, but this was definitely too much.

"Teme, you are always such a party pooper." Naruto pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I really don't give a shit!" Sasuke answered with a raised tone, his anger taking over. He really was not in the mood for Naruto's games or any of their help, especially not when their plans included a horde of girls. He was seriously fed up of being chased by stupid fan-girls. What he wanted was Sakura and nothing else.

Naruto took the hint that Sasuke wanted to drop the subject, so he diverted the conversation toward their game. "Are you ready to get your ass whipped again, teme?" A big grin spread on his face, while his eyes glinted in challenge.

Sasuke smirked for the first time that day, forgetting about his torment for just a few seconds. "Usaratonkachi," he muttered under his breath, before accepting Naruto's offered hand and lifted himself up on his feet.

Naruto smiled at him, and bellowed eagerly, "C'mon, let's play!" He felt a bit more relaxed once he saw the change in the expression on Sasuke's face. As he turned and stepped on the playing ground, he lifted a fist in the air. "I will kick all of your asses, believe it!"

Shikamaru just shook his head in disbelief as he followed after them. "Naruto, you can't, we play in teams," he spoke in a lazy tone.

"Whatever, you know what I mean!" the blond answered back, his mind already working on a plan on how to win the second match.

* * *

When night came, the girls prepared themselves for their outing at the night club owned by Naruto's godfather. Even if they weren't that enthusiastic about the choice this time, they still decided that it won't hurt to check it out.

They wanted to share a ride to the club, so they sort of ditched the guys. It was their idea for a perfect ending of a testosterone-free day, since the night was already ruined because their plans included the guys.

Sakura was behind the wheel, with the usual black car following behind her. Her best friend did not seem very pleased with that fact, which was particularly pronounced by the constant glances she shot at the rear-view mirror.

"The big guy is in that SUV, right?" she finally asked, unable to suppress her curiosity.

Sakura looked at her strangely, but answered nevertheless, "Yes." However, not a moment later, she added, "Why do you ask?"

The blonde let out an irritated sound, before answering, "It's bothering me. I really have no idea how you put up with his presence."

The pink-haired girl just shrugged nonchalantly, after which she evenly intoned, "I guess I got used to it."

"He's like everywhere you go," Tenten complained, turning to look at the car that was steadily following behind them.

"I agree with Tenten. Whenever I turn to talk to you, he's there," Ino added, her voice sounding heavily displeased. She was a person that loved her freedom and she always protested if there was someone or something disrupting that pleasure for her.

"At least we know that he keeps her safe," Hinata spoke, her voice quiet, but steady. She did not mind the presence of Sakura's bodyguard, as long as that meant that she was safe from harm.

The blonde disagreed, at least with the fact that he was needed at such close proximity. "Yeah, well, I still think that he needs to back off a little bit," she shared her thoughts with the rest, believing that she was right.

"Shut up, Ino-pig!" Sakura shot back. After hearing those words, she really felt the necessity to defend the man, who was nothing but kind to her. "Eiichiro is really nice. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been here with you, because Tsunade would have made sure that I was locked up." Afterward, she just directed a piercing look at her best friend, hoping to make a point.

Ino just crossed her arms indignantly, not wanting to admit defeat. However, she did agree with Sakura on that notion. At least, she was glad that she had her friend here with her instead of having to visit her at her home. There was nothing fun about visiting someone at their home and watch them sulk in misery.

Despite her relenting thoughts, she stubbornly droned, "Well, you can't really blame me. If he stops acting like your shadow, I might change my mind." Then, she pouted, at which the other girls giggled.

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The guys waited for almost an hour in front of the club, which was where they were supposed to meet up with the girls. They were already pretty pissed off because of their lateness.

To make things worse, Naruto was constantly complaining. "Why aren't we sharing a ride with the girls?" he asked the same question for the millionth time that night, but this time someone had the decency to grant him with an answer ― even if it wasn't really an answer.

"Naruto, if you miss Hinata that much, could you at least stop pestering _us_ about it?" Sasuke practically shouted at him, feeling like he was on edge with his patience.

"I think that you need to make a move or just ask her out already," Kiba nonchalantly commented. His unusual calmness was the result of his own excitement, because this time his wish was granted and they were just about to enter the club of his dreams. It was one of his greatest desires to visit the famous Icha Icha Paradise and it was finally happening.

"Kiba, don't encourage him," Neji warned, his tone biting. He was definitely not happy with the situation, but Naruto's interest in his cousin was not something that pleased him either.

"Neji, you don't have to act like a caveman," Kiba intoned, laughing slightly. He was quite amused with the reaction that came from Neji. However, once he took note of the heavy glare directed at him, he added, "Don't get me wrong. I love Hinata as if she was my own little sister, but she has to get herself a boyfriend eventually!"

Once those words registered in Naruto's mind, images of him together with Hinata started flashing inside his mind. He started feeling utterly nervous because of that and almost lost his enthusiasm to see her.

"Kiba, the dobe is in agony because of you," Sasuke commented with a cool voice, as he looked at his best friend with slightly scrunched up eyebrows. He was in disbelief because of Naruto's reaction. He did not know that he would react in such a way at the mention of Hinata being his possible future girlfriend. He smirked in amusement at his antics.

"What? I did nothing," Kiba said, clearly confused as to why he was being pointed at as the reason for Naruto's unusual behavior.

"You talk too much," Sasuke simply said, not even sparing him a glance.

That gesture served as an irritation for Kiba and despite his previous calmness he still complained heatedly, "Hey!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, entirely bored by the situation, while Sasuke still kept ignoring the fuming boy.

"The girls have just arrived!" Lee exclaimed excitedly. He was unusually silent the entire time, but he was mostly preoccupied with his outfit. He really tried to look his best in one of his favorite green shirts and leather jacket.

"Finally," Chouji muttered under his breath, his hands surprisingly empty. Maybe that was the reason he was so relieved to see them arrive.

Sai was as always quietly observing everything that happened around him, while Shino just brooded on the sidelines. He was not that pleased with having to wait so long. In his opinion, waiting for hours for someone to arrive was a complete waste of time.

Watching as Sakura pulled to a stop in front of the club, Sasuke started to feel the raise of goose bumps on his skin. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but he already resented it. He did not know why he felt like that, but his best guess was that he was dreading seeing her. Ever since he saw the magazine article, he felt like he lost her and what made him feel worse was that he blamed himself for it.

"Hey, boys," Ino greeted cheerfully, her appearance catching the attention of Kiba and of course her boyfriend, but the later did not want to comment on it ― at least not in front of his guy friends.

"Hey, Ino! You look rocking hot in those red jeans," Kiba observed loudly, his eyes appreciatively gliding up and down her body. He couldn't help himself, even if he considered her as his friend and nothing more.

Of course, the blonde took that as a compliment. "Thank you, Kiba!" She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek in gratification for his words. Then, she turned to look at her boyfriend and spoke in indignation, "At least there is one of you that appreciates my efforts, unlike some other guy I know."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru just muttered, refusing to lift his hands from his pockets. Then, he just cast a glance at her direction and said, "Ino, you already know what I think."

She angrily turned to fully face him, her hands on her hips. "No, I don't, Shikamaru!" she yelled, not giving a damn if anyone heard her.

"You are actually mad, _again_?" he asked in disbelief, his voice making him sound bored, which was not far from the truth.

"You really are an asshole sometimes," she said, her face reddening because of the embarrassment she felt. There might have been slight anger there, but only slightly.

"Ino, calm down," Tenten said. "You know you love him." She then laced her fingers through Neji's and let him lead her inside.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino muttered, giving up. Then, she said in a hopeful voice, "But, it would be good if he would compliment me every now and then." She retaliated, so she took Shikamaru's hand in hers and followed after the others.

Naruto and Sasuke were the only ones left outside, since they waited for Sakura and Hinata to finish up with the guy responsible for the guests' cars. They were the last to approach them since they had to make sure that her car was taken to the private parking lot.

"Hi, guys," Sakura greeted, while Hinata just stood there, too shy to speak up. It was Naruto's piercing stare that made her feel a bit self-conscious.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto chirped happily, without turning his eyes away from the shy girl.

Sakura smiled fondly at the scene and made a step to stand closer to Sasuke, at which he flinched slightly. Luckily, she did not notice, because she was too consumed by looking at the other two. She wanted to give Naruto and Hinata some space, feeling that there was something serious going on.

Hinata fidgeted with her fingers, before hesitantly lifting her eyes to Naruto's. "Um… Hi, Naruto-kun," she spoke timidly, a light shade of pink dusting her cheeks.

"Hi, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, while scratching the back of his neck, which was a clear act of nervousness. After staring at her for a short moment, he finally decided to be bolder and asked, "Would you like me to escort you inside?"

"Um… sure," she said, her lips stretching in a shy smile.

He politely offered her his hand and she took it while smiling brightly. As they walked away, their friends stayed behind, watching the scene.

"Tch, dobe," Sasuke said, a smirk forming on his lips. For just a moment he forgot about his uncertainty around Sakura.

"Stop it, Sasuke!" Sakura playfully hit his shoulder. But, she was not that light in her speech when she defended Naruto. "He is really sweet with her." She melted at the sight of them walking side by side, casting nervous glances at one another. The way she saw it, the scene was one of the sweetest things she had ever witnessed in her life.

Sasuke looked at her, and his eyes were instantly glued to her glowing face. He half-smiled and repeated just to rile her up, "He's a dobe." He was glad that after one look at her, his mood instantly lifted up. It was almost as if her presence calmed him, made him feel relaxed.

Once Sakura lifted her head to glare at Sasuke, she noticed that he was staring at her. The glare was lost on her and the look in her eyes softened.

Sasuke turned his head in a swift manner and tried to distract himself by looking in another direction. But, he was sure that she caught him and he already imagined the smile on her face.

A moment of silence followed, where none dared speak. Wanting to break the silence, Sakura asked, "So, are you planning on going in?"

His response did not consist of words, but of pure action. He just took her hand in his and walked toward the packed entrance. If his gesture did not surprise Sakura, then the way he intertwined their finger certainly did. Little fluttering butterflies filled her stomach and she felt so completely safe by his side.

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As they all waited in line in front of the vast gates, Ino turned to share a little gossip with Sakura, but her attention was stolen by the much bigger man.

She huffed in annoyance, and shouted disbelievingly, "I can't believe it!"

Sakura, who was previously distracted by Sasuke's hand still holding hers, looked at her in question and asked, "What?" Her best friend's behavior confused her greatly.

Ino turned and without paying much attention to her own manners pointed rudely at Eiichiro. "There he is… _again_," she pointed out, intentionally prolonging the last word.

"Whatever, Ino," Tenten tried to dismiss her complain. "Try to ignore him." She hoped that the blonde will finally dismiss the subject and let the man do his job in peace.

"Eiichiro, don't be bothered by her. She can be a real diva sometimes," Sakura addressed the man that stood not that far away from her, being aware that he heard the comment. She really felt sorry for him, having to work for someone like her ― who wasn't in dire need of protection ― and on top of that tolerate her friend's rude protests.

"I heard that!" Ino hollered, sounding displeased because of the little nick name Sakura gave her.

"It is not a problem, Miss," Eiichiro said and smiled politely.

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Once inside, they were greeted with an unexpected sight. Pure shock was written upon the girls' faces, while the boys' expressions differed from disgusted to completely astound.

The inside of the night club was decorated with many dancing stages, hanging chandeliers, heavy curtains and dim lights. All was colored in black, with bits of gray and silver. There was a group of dancing girls ― who were practically bare ― scattered around the place, while most of the guests seemed to be men. The heavy rock music blasted throughout the place, adding effect to the appalling atmosphere. Toward the center, there was a huge bar with a number of girls serving the customers. It seemed as if the clothes they wore were barely there, concealing very little.

Naruto was a bit regretful that he ever accepted to bring his friends here, because this was certainly not the kind of place he wanted to take any of the girls. Similar thoughts circled the minds of Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji, while the rest were pretty much speechless. Sai was the only one that seemed to be particularly curious, so he observed everything with interest. However, there was only one exception to the entire group, who did not think negatively of the place.

"Alright! This is awesome!" Kiba shouted, his eyes rounded in astonishment. He was so excited; he did not know which way to turn first, especially since there were half-naked girls dancing at every corner.

"I already hate this place!" Ino droned, sounding thoroughly disgusted. She wanted to cover her eyes, not wanting to witness any more of those dreadful outfits. She was a fashion expert, and those little skimpy things – most probably made out of leather – were beyond doubt _fashion faux pas_.

"What the hell is this?" Sakura gasped in open horror. She dropped Sasuke's hand just so she would be able to cover her gaping mouth. This was definitely not how she imagined this place. She thought that it might be a little different ― as different as she thought Jiraiya could be ― but, this was certainly something unexpected.

"Can we… like… leave?" Tenten fought for words. She told herself that she would gladly disappear at the first chance she got and never look back. Since she did not receive a response from her boyfriend ― who stood right next to her with his fists tightly clenched ― she turned to look at him. "Neji?" she asked for his attention, but the way she saw it from her standing point he seemed to be distracted by a rather voluptuous girl dancing just above him.

"Aa," Neji called, sounding unfocused. It seemed as if his voice was a bit strained.

Tenten was raging mad by that point, so she did not waste her energy when she hit him on his shoulder. "Are you even listening to me?" she shouted right in his ear, not feeling sorry for him, not even in the least.

Neji turned and harshly asked, "What is it?" while rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your enjoyment! Please, continue," she sarcastically spoke, making a gesture with her hands as if giving him freedom to do as he pleased. Then, she stormed in a different direction, because she felt like she could use a drink ― or two.

"Tenten," he called after her, instantly catching onto what made her so furious. He was not staring at the girls, but fuming because a certain someone insisted that they should all visit this place. He was trying to decide on who should be the first victim of his rage, while at the same time she completely misunderstood his behavior for ogling.

She ignored his call and looked at her girlfriends. "Girls, are you coming?" she asked, before turning away with finality and stomping toward the sitting area.

"I definitely am!" Ino instantly followed after her.

"Hinata, let's just go after them," Sakura suggested, a defeated look on her face.

"Okay," the shy girl agreed. She did not seem like she was very comfortable just by standing at such a dreadful looking place. She lifted her eyes and glanced at her blond companion with apologetic eyes. "I am really sorry, Naruto-kun."

Then, both girls left.

"Kiba, this is your fault!" Neji shouted, his fingers digging in his palms painfully.

"Let them cool off," Kiba spoke with an amused smile. "She'll be back in your arms in no time."

"Don't play smart with me!" The Hyuga was beyond furious, his eyes accusing. He was ready to lay a perfectly clean punch in the face of the brown-haired boy, but luckily Sasuke was fast enough to stop him. He held him back by his arms, while the blond stood firmly in between the two raging boys.

"Hey, hey, let's not start a fight," Naruto flailed with his hands and hoped that nothing bad was going to happen.

Kiba was also ready to defend himself, but Shino stood right beside him in case he was needed to prevent a fight from happening.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered under his breath, but was fully alert. Chouji was right beside him, looking a bit confused.

"I think it would be best if we got something to drink and in the meantime let the girls calm down for a bit, okay?" Lee suggested with a serene voice.

"I think that Lee has a point," Naruto said, trying to sound neutral. He did not want to add oil to the already built up fire. The situation was already tense enough on its own.

"Dobe, let's go," Sasuke called, while dragging Neji beside him.

He did not seem pleased with the way he was being treated, so he practically seethed, "Let me go, Uchiha." He attempted to suppress his own anger by clenching his teeth and walked in front of the group.

Sasuke exchanged a knowing look with Naruto and they both followed after him. The rest just walked behind them.

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"Urgh, I can't believe them!" Tenten shouted, disposing herself heavily upon the long chaise longue ― the entire place was decorated like an old-fashioned castle. She felt so angry at Neji that she felt like the blood was boiling in her veins. At that moment, she just wanted to punch something or better said a certain someone's face.

"Yeah!" Ino agreed without giving herself a second to think things through. "Do they have to ogle like that?" She asked, the question directed mostly at herself, but she still looked at her friends with questioning eyes. She needed assurance that her assumptions were wrong, but none of the three offered that kind of reassurance.

They were all consumed by their own jealousy, so their ability to judge the situation with clear minds was lost on them.

"I can't say that I disagree with you. They did look a bit out of it." Sakura couldn't help but agree. From her standing point all of the boys seemed a little distracted and she couldn't lie to herself that it wasn't because of the dancers. She admitted to herself that she wasn't quite sure what happened.

"A bit!" Ino asked, heavy accusation dripping from her voice. She looked positively murderous at that moment.

Sakura had to relent, so she shouted, "Okay, a lot!" There was one little detail that she caught with certainly and that was the tightening of Sasuke's hand around hers once they walked in. She was surprised at first, but once she followed his gaze, she understood what evoked such reaction. At a different time she might have been confused, but after that grip she was sure that he was affected.

"I need a drink!" Tenten said, already lifting her hand, as a sign of call, toward a girl with a tray in her hand.

Sakura was on the same wave line, because she felt like she needed something to make the feeling of jealousy go away. She did not want it there.

The girl with skimpy clothes was instantly beside them, waiting to take their order.

Ino instantly went into a frenzied mode and started ordering a number of drinks, most of them carrying quite colorful names.

"Ino-chan, please don't do this," Hinata begged, with a weak voice. The other girls' behavior was making her feel nervous. She was scared that something bad might happen because of this.

Sakura looked at her and noticed her trembling hands. She put a reassuring hand above hers and addressed the blonde. "Ino-pig, you are worrying Hinata," she warned, trying to give her a hint that she should keep the order to a minimum.

Ino turned her eyes on Hinata and circled her shoulders with one arm. "Don't worry, sweetie," she whispered. "These are just harmless cocktails." Then, she winked at her and flashed her with a smile.

The shy girl certainly hoped that she was right and that this was their last order. She just wished that the guys would decide to join them soon and put at stop to this before things take turn in an ugly direction, because as far as she knew her girlfriends were never good friends with the alcohol.

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Sasuke leaned on the railing, and stared at Sakura from afar. He was lost in his own thoughts, until Naruto nudged him gently. As he turned toward his friend, he noticed the questioning look on his face. He did not feel like talking, so he chose to stay silent.

Naruto let out a heavy breath. "Sasuke, you know… I think that she already forgave you," he gently spoke, turning to look over his shoulder. He kept his eyes centered on his pink-haired friend and added, "I mean, whenever she's around you, she's glowing."

"That doesn't make me feel any less guilty," Sasuke spoke with remorse, his head cast downwards. "The fact that I broke her heart… made her cry…" he couldn't finish that torturous thought.

"Maybe if you talked… tried to apologize," suggested Naruto, his eyes hesitantly stayed glued on Sasuke's face in an attempt to read at least one emotion.

Sasuke breathed out and pressed his palms on his head. He was silent for a moment, while the blond patiently waited for him to say something. When he opened his mouth to speak, the only words that he uttered were, "That's easier said than done, Naruto."

Naruto understood what he tried to say with those words. He knew that Sasuke was never comfortable with expressing his emotions, especially not verbally. A talk with Sakura was exactly what could give him the closure he needed, but that also meant that he needed to confess his own feelings.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Naruto said, while placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

Sasuke smirked and not a moment later his attention fell on his surroundings. The expression on his face changed into one that represented displeasure. "Dobe, this was a mistake," he commented conversationally. "We should've never come here."

"Tell me about it," he murmured in defeat. Naruto definitely agreed with him, but there was nothing that could be done now, at least not until the girls decided that they forgot all about their anger.

All of a sudden, a loud booming voice interrupted their conversation.

"Ohoho, look who we have here!"

Just as they turned toward the source of the noise, the blond was engulfed in a bone crushing hug.

"Naruto, my boy!" the man with long white hair shouted right in his ear. He seemed pretty excited to see his godson there.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto exclaimed once out of the hug, but scrunched up his nose as the stench of alcohol reached him. He looked at his godfather and noticed the rosy color on his cheeks and realized that he was a bit tipsy.

The man smiled at the nickname his godson gave him. In time, he learned to accept it as a term of endearment, but he was definitely amused that the boy still called him a _perverted_ wise old man. He thought that he would've forgotten all about their past adventures when he told him stories and took him to all sorts of places around Japan. He just guessed that Naruto was already used to the nickname that it became a permanent habit.

"What brings you here, my boy?" the elderly man asked eagerly. He did not wait for an answer, because from the corner of his eye he recognized a few familiar faces. He turned slightly in order to better see them, and said, "Oh, you brought your little friends with you."

"Little?" Kiba instantaneously complained. "Who are you calling _little_?"

"I like this guy," Jiraiya said through a laugh. "You were Kiba, right?" he asked, a huge smile on his face.

"That's me," the boy said and proudly poked his own chest with his thumb. Subsequently, he just leaned in and spoke in an almost secretive manner, "I have to hand it to you… this place is great." A wide suggestive smirk grazed on his lips.

"Oh, you like it?" Jiraiya lifted his eyebrows in surprise. He sounded pleased to hear such words, which was especially pronounced after his lips lifted up in a cunning smile. He put his hand near his lips and leaned in. "I have a few very special girls that can be a great entertainment for you, boys," he whispered suggestively, winking at them all. "What do you say?"

The others just gave up right then and there. If Jiraiya was this enthusiastic, then nothing good was coming. They just had to endure the night the best way they could, but that also meant that a lot of avoiding was needed.

However, Naruto did not plan to let his godfather do as he pleased, so he openly disagreed, "No, we didn't come for that, Ero-sennin." He even tried to discreetly point toward the sitting area where the girls were sharing a few drinks.

"Oh, so you brought the girls, huh?" he asked, a very wicked smile forming on his lips.

"Yes, like we'll go somewhere without them," Naruto said honestly. He really did not want any problems, especially not ones that involved any of those dirty dancers hanging on both of Jiraiya's sides.

"If you ask me, you should," he spoke in a voice that sounded quite nasty. He even suggestively lifted his eyebrows.

Naruto's face scrunched up in disgust and he refused with strong voice, "No, thanks!"

Most of his friends were thankful that he was not that stupid to act like his own godfather, or worse follow his footsteps. They definitely were not feeling attracted to any of those dirty-looking dancers and were particularly not agreeable with the age difference.

"Okay, you can at least accept a few drinks on the house," the old man suggested, trying to make an innocent face.

"Well… maybe a few drinks are not such a bad idea," Naruto sounded unsure. He scratched the back of his head and looked back at his friends, asking for help.

They all hesitated for a moment, but Jiraiya insisted, "Come, come… join me at my table!"

They reluctantly followed after him, but they did not have to wait that long to actually feel regret for making such a decision.

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Tenten took a generous sip of her cocktail, but as she lowered the glass on the table she caught a good view of what the guys were up to. If her anger cooled down within the last half an hour, this definitely reversed everything.

At first she just gaped at the scene, but then she couldn't stop herself and called. "Girls, look!"

Ino's head snapped up in an instant. "What?" she asked curiously, but seeing the expression on Tenten's face confused her slightly. After she followed her gaze, she could already feel the fury boiling inside of her.

"The guys… they lost it!" Tenten pointed out, even if it was not really necessary, because three pair of eyes were already staring at the scene.

All they could see was that the guys were looking quite comfortable in a secluded area with a huge number of girls sitting in between them. They were even helping them with their drinks, which certainly did not look like it was just an innocent act.

Shino and Sai looked like they were enjoying themselves with a pair of girls, which was actually true.

One was offering food to Chouji, who seemed quite pleased when he accepted it.

Lee was excitedly chatting with another.

Kiba had a girl straddling his hips, while a huge smile was stretched across his face.

Another girl sat in Shikamaru's lap and even if he appeared bored, Ino was not fooled.

Tenten was trying to maintain her composure, but she snapped the moment one girl leaned in from behind Neji and touched his hair. She noticed the grip he had on his glass, but she thought that it meant something else entirely.

Hinata could not even believe her eyes when she saw Naruto surrounded by three girls. She did not even have the time to see his pained expression, because she already hyperventilated.

And, lastly, Sakura was having difficulty breathing. Her nails dig in the thick material of the chaise longue, her wide eyes focused on Sasuke and the girl that had her hand on his chest while offering him a drink. She was unable to stand the feeling that gripped her chest, so she swiftly averted her eyes at the exact same time he pushed her away. The drink fell with a crash on the ground, but the noise was overpowered by the music.

The girls did not even consider the possibility of misunderstanding, because the way they saw it, everything was pretty much clear.

"What the hell?" Sakura spoke in disbelief, refusing to turn her eyes in the direction of the dreadful scene.

"Ino, can I borrow this?" Hinata asked, as she reached for the blonde's drink. She felt like the room was getting way too hot and she really needed something to cool her off.

"Be my guest," Ino said, while trying to think of something. She felt so angry that she wanted to make them regret, to make them feel guilty for treating them like this.

"Is it sweet?" Hinata asked, but she already brought it to her lips. The bitter taste of the Campari burned her throat. She scrunched up her face and instantly left the glass on the table.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata." Ino looked at her apologetically and offered, "If you want to, I can order you something sweet."

Hinata nodded timidly and agreed with the offer, "I want to."

After making the order, Ino turned to look at her friends and spoke with determination, "Okay, this is getting over the line!"

"We are taking control this time!" Tenten shouted, as she slammed a fist on the table. It was quite evident that she was still very angry.

The blonde already formed the perfect plan and smirked wickedly.

Her best friend recognized that look and recalled a time when they fooled around with a few crazy ideas. At that time, they never even considered of doing that, but now when they were under the influence of alcohol and pretty pissed off, the plan seemed perfect.

"Ino, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sakura finally asked, a huge smile appearing on her flushed face.

She nodded eagerly in response, but then looked at the other two and asked, "Girls, are you up for it?"

"Up for what?" Tenten's curiosity sparked. Her mind was hazy because of the drinks she had, but she could feel the adrenaline building up in her veins.

As Ino told them the plan, Hinata almost finished her newly arrived drink. She was exceptionally nervous, especially since the plan seemed a bit too bold for her.

"Girls, I am not so sure about this," she hesitantly spoke, feeling slightly worried because of the look on their faces.

"C'mon, Hinata, you'll be great," Ino reassured her. Then, she stood up and took a final sip from her own drink and walked toward a more crowded area, where a few high tables were scattered.

Hinata followed after her, and asked with a shaky voice, "You think so?"

"Yeah, trust me!" Ino spoke with assurance. "You can pair up with Tenten and I'll go with Sakura." She smiled in encouragement and winked in a friendly way.

"Okay," the girl said and walked beside Tenten.

The brown-haired girl approached one of the high tables and after seeing that they would clearly need help to reach the top, she turned toward one of the guys that stood there. She touched his shoulder and leaned closer to his ear. "Can you help us get on this table?" she whispered sweetly and looked at him expectantly.

He instantly complied and helped them both up. He stared at them with eager eyes and smiled wickedly.

Tenten ignored him, and turned toward her friend. "Hinata, let's rock this club!"

The usually shy girl flashed a small smile and they both started dancing. The way they swayed their hips atop the table, with their high heels on, gripped the attention of many men in the club. Luckily they all wore pants or otherwise their plan wouldn't have been very good if they had too many man looking up their skirts.

_Got to meet the hottie with the million dollar body__!__  
They say its over budget__,__ but you'd pay her just to touch it__!__C__ome on__!_

…_  
_

In the meantime, Sakura and Ino found themselves atop another table, because the blonde already used the same approach as Tenten. They shared a wicked smile and let themselves loose with the heavy rock music blasting in their ears.

…

_Dirty little lady with the pretty pink thong  
__…_

Sakura kicked a bottle with her high heels and the moment it smashed on the ground practically every man that stood around the table had his attention on them both dancing. They lifted their hands up in the air and rocked their hips in rhythm with the music.

…

_Ain't it funny how the honey wanted you all along  
__…_

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Sakura's bodyguard, Eiichiro, was the first that witnessed the girls' little escapade. He was definitely not pleased with their action, but meddling in his client's life was not in his job description. However, he did not plan on letting things escalate to something more terrible, so he decided to approach the boys.

As he walked in their direction, he swiftly measured them all and chose the one that seemed more suitable for the job. He steadily approached Sasuke and did not waste time on pleasantries, but shot directly on the matter at hand.

"Young man, you seem more reasonable than the rest," he said with a firm voice and just with those words he instantly had Sasuke's attention. "I think it would be better if you took care of the girls."

"Where are they?" he asked, his voice composed, but he felt a small tingling inside his stomach that indicated the built up of worry.

The man just inclined his head in the direction of the girls, who were still perched atop the tables. Sasuke followed his gaze and once his eyes soaked in the scene, his mouth fell open.

…

_(you naughty thing)  
Your ripping up the dance floor honey_

The music registered in his ears only because his attention was caught by Sakura's movements. She was acting like a wild animal dancing like that. Ino was not an angel either. They were both shaking their asses and flailing their hair in wild disarray around them. He felt heavy onslaught of rage after seeing the lustful looks they received because of their provocative movements.

_(you naughty wom__a__n)  
You shake your ass around for everyone_

…_  
_

Once his eyes moved a bit to the side, he noticed Hinata and Tenten doing the exact same thing. He did not know what made them all act like this, but he knew that none of the guys would be pleased. He was quite sure that his best friend will be the first one to express his fury.

"Shit!" he gritted out. "Naruto!" he shouted after his friend, his voice filled with anger. As he walked away, Naruto turned in the direction he thought he heard his name being called.

He needed only a few seconds to adjust his eyes to the fast developing scene. "Oh, no!" the blonde shouted and was already rushing in the direction of his love interest.

"What the hell?" Kiba shouted, already on his feet. He forgot all about the girl that not a moment ago had his attention.

_(your such a mover)  
I love the way you dance with anybody  
(the way you swing)  
And tease them all by sucking on your thumb_

…

Neji was beyond shocked, but it took him less than a second to rush in the direction of his girlfriend. "Tenten!" he gritted out her name, his temper flaring instantaneously.

"This is definitely not what I signed up for," Shikamaru muttered, but he forgot all about his lazing out. He told himself that he would rather die a thousand deaths than let some nasty men ogle his girlfriend. "Chouji, let's go," he called and his best friend was already beside him.

The others just worriedly followed, trying to keep up with the unfolding situation.

Eiichiro was on their heels, already calling for some back up in case they needed help.

Sasuke was the first one that reached Sakura and Ino.

"Sakura!" he called after her and reached up. He tried to catch her hand, but she just smiled at him and kept dancing. Noticing the light shade of pink on her cheeks, he assumed that she was slightly drunk. He tried a second time and firmly took her hand in his.

Shikamaru and Chouji were finally right beside him, their attention on Ino. They tried pulling her down gently, but she resisted, angrily glaring at them both. She was still mad at them for cheating on her trust. Shikamaru figured that she was going to be difficult as usual, so he decided that it would be best if he and Chouji started apologizing. At that point he was willing to do anything just to make her get down and stop with this nonsense.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to convince Sakura to get down from the makeshift dance podium. He encircled her thighs with his hands, as she placed her hands on his shoulders for support. He nodded with his head as a gesture of assurance that she was safe, so she stepped out of the table and slid down his hands until he had a firm grip on her waist.

She giggled as she leaned her forehead on his. The pink on her cheeks was even more noticeable, now that her face was so close to his. He lowered her further, letting her feet touch the ground. He took a step back, wanting to make sure that she was okay.

"Sakura, you're drunk," he noted, more to himself than her.

"I know," she giggled and swayed a bit, feeling dizzy. She held his hands in hers as a means of support, because when she looked at the ground it seemed like it rotated in place.

He realized that the alcohol was starting to affect her strongly, because she practically fell in his hands.

"I'll take you home, don't worry," he said to her, as he placed one firm hand on her waist.

"Sasuke… kun…" Her head lulled back and he instantly reached to steady it.

"Aa," he breathed in her ear. Wanting to give her assurance that he was there with her, he hugged her close to his chest.

"You smell nice," she whispered, but he heard her because her lips were right at his ear. He smiled fondly, but then his breath caught at her next words.

"I love you…"

He froze on the spot, but not a second later his attention was pulled by a loud crashing sound.

As he turned toward the noise, he took note of Ino leaning against Shikamaru. However, he also noticed that Chouji was already running in the direction of the commotion.

Apparently, the chaos ensued because of Naruto's inability to contain his rage. Everything was perfectly fine, until one man decided to be more bold and gripped Hinata's ass. It was his misfortune that Naruto witnessed everything and already had the perfect momentum to slam a hard fist in his jaw.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, asshole?" he shouted, but the idiot was already sprawled on the ground. Naruto did not care that he was much older than him or that his friends were already directing their fists toward his face. The only thing he cared about at that moment was his precious Hinata.

Sasuke noticed everything, but he felt like it was already too late because the guys with raised fist were closer to his best friend than he was. He still tried to reach him in time, but someone beat him to it.

Two large men stood right in front of Naruto, shielding him from the offenders.

It was Eiichiro's voice that warned, "If you want to mess with this boy, you mess with us first!"

The men were not that courageous in front of the obviously stronger bodyguards, so they backed off a bit and instead turned to help their bruised friend.

Sasuke just smirked in relief. He started to really appreciate the big man, because he proved himself to be very loyal toward his client. Despite the fact that his job was to protect only Sakura, he was kind enough to care about her friends too.

Since the commotion grasped the attention of all the guests, the club security was alerted too. They came a bit too late, but they still wanted to know what the hell happened there.

"It's okay, we got everything under control," Eiichiro addressed them and held his badge up. Once they saw the emblem that obviously meant that he was above their station, they thanked him for a job well done. He still wanted to make sure that the worse was already over, so he said, "But, I suggest you kick these troublemakers out before anything bad happens." He professionally pointed out the group of guys that had the decency to assault a minor.

The guys from the club security were already upon them and not a minute later they were taken outside.

Naruto helped Hinata step down from the high table and hugged her in a comforting way. He noticed that she was slightly shaken, so he pulled back so he would be able to look in her eyes. He cupped her cheeks in his warm hands and spoke with a gentle tone, "It's okay, Hinata chan. It's over."

A few tears escaped her crystal clear eyes and he hugged her for a second time. She felt so much better after being held by him in such a protective way. Her heart warmed whenever he was near her, but at this precise moment she was just glad that he was there to protect her.

After witnessing the entire scene, Ino seriously reconsidered her previous complaints about Eiichiro. From that moment on, she was glad that he was there to protect Sakura, because that meant that her best friend was truly safe.

Tenten was scared because of everything that transpired. She felt guilty for causing this just because of some stupid jealousy, so she desperately apologized to her boyfriend. He smiled at her silliness and assured her that everything was okay and that it wasn't her fault.

They were all glad that it was over and the only thing left for them was to quietly go home. However, no one considered the fact that there were paparazzi waiting for Sakura right outside the club. Unfortunately, she and Sasuke decided to be the last ones to leave by letting their friends walk out first. They did not have much choice either way, because Eiichiro insisted to be the one to take her home and Sasuke did not want to leave her side.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Sasuke walked out of the doors with Sakura right beside him. He had his arm wrapped around her waist, while she rested her head on his shoulder. The cool air that hit her face felt really good against her heated cheeks. She lifted her head and breathed in, the dizziness that clouded her mind drifting away in an instant.

She did not have much time to enjoy the refreshing feeling, because her vision was assaulted by the blinding flashes produced by the numerous cameras. Sasuke tried to shield her by bringing her face closer to his chest, but he could not protect her from the intrusive questions they shot her with.

_**Sakura, did you have a good time?**_

_**Did you drink tonight?**_

_**We heard that you danced atop a table for the guests there.**_

_**Did you enjoy yourself?**_

Their loud voices were like piercing needles, making her head spin.

At that exact moment Eiichiro shot out from behind her and Sasuke, and stood just before them. His eyes roamed in search for the paparazzo that she needed protection from most, but the flashes prevented him from having a clear view. He prepared himself to react in case any of them attempted even the slightest of movements toward her.

None of them seemed perturbed by the large man's presence, so they kept asking questions that were meant to provoke her.

_**Are you Sasuke, one of the heirs to the prestigious Uchiha clan?**_

_**What are you doing with a pop star like her?**_

_**Are you using her as your play toy?**_

Sasuke was surprised ― to say the least ― that they actually knew who he was, but he dismissed that thought for a much more important matter. Sakura was much more important than any of those stupid accusations. He pointedly ignored them as he moved slowly toward the car that was waiting for them. The only thing he cared about was bringing Sakura to safety.

_**Is she only for your entertainment?**_

_**Does it cost much to have a girl like her by your side?**_

That last question held so much hidden meaning that Sakura could not just easily ignore. She could not overlook the words they said about Sasuke, couldn't close the eyes to the accusations. She did not know what came over her, but once they started assaulting Sasuke, she couldn't contain her rage.

She flash stepped in front of the large man and lashed out at the first paparazzo she could reach. He was taken by surprise when he noticed that she took his camera in her hands. A wicked thought flashed through her mind as she laughed cruelly right in his face and in the next instant she smashed it on the cemented floor. She reveled in the feeling of hearing it break.

But, once she adjusted her vision on his face, she realized that she made a huge mistake. It was _him_, the one that followed her relentlessly, that pushed her toward her edge. She froze in fear while he crooked an evil smile. Once he lifted his hand in the air, she closed her eyes.

Eiichiro was already beside her, trying to take her away from his reach. Just as he moved her and shielded her with his body, a black shade flashed in front of him.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Everything happened so fast that Sakura was not quite sure that she caught onto everything. But, there was one thing she was certain of, and that was Sasuke's roar that her ears registered before she heard the crack of someone's jaw.

She dared a single glance from behind her bodyguard and saw the man lying on the floor with blood on his mouth and jaw. Sasuke stood above him, but she could only see his back and not his face. However, she could only imagine the infamous deadly glare in those black eyes of his.

"Miss, we better leave, now," Eiichiro spoke with a steady voice and took her hand in his. He led her away from the paparazzi, who were silently observing everything. None dared move out of fear.

Sasuke was right beside her in an instant. He let her enter the car first and then followed after her. As he closed the door, he thought that he recognized the face of one of Itachi's friends among the paparazzi. He turned to glance a final time toward the crowd of men and saw the same guy flashing a wink at him. He just smirked knowingly and shut the door.

Afterward, the SUV just sped away in the darkness of the street.

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Naruto drove Hinata to her house, refusing to let the girl go with her cousin. After everything that happened that night he felt very protective of her. They sat in silence the entire duration of the ride.

The girl was too shy to even think of saying something, while Naruto was just plainly nervous. He kept glancing at her, but seeing the blush on her cheeks is what prevented him from opening his mouth. He did not want to make the situation even more uncomfortable than it was.

When he pulled to a stop in front of the Hyuga house, she quietly bid him goodbye and opened the car door. Naruto was so nervous that he didn't even think of walking out and opening the door for her. But, he didn't want to see her leave like that, without him saying goodbye to her in a proper way.

Hinata was about to exit the car when she felt a warm hand upon her own. It was Naruto's attempt to stop her from leaving.

"Hinata-chan, wait," he spoke very gently, something that was not his usual way of addressing people. His soft tone of voice was especially reserved for the girl he always wanted to treat with gentleness and care.

"Naruto-kun, is something wrong?" she asked very quietly, because she was unsure of his reasons for wanting her to stay longer. Just the mere thought of it was making her feel fluttering butterflies in her stomach.

"No, I just wanted to wish you goodnight." He looked away, as a noticeable blush crept up his neck. "Sweet dreams, Hinata-chan," he said quietly while giving her a very sweet smile that was reserved only for her.

She smiled a very sweet smile at him, as a pure shine was making her lavender eyes glint beautifully. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. That is really sweet of you. Goodnight." Then she did something she never thought she would have the courage to do. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, at which he smiled broadly and felt sudden warmth envelop his whole body.

As she exited the car and walked away toward the house entrance, he told himself that this was by far the best night of his life.

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Sasuke took Sakura to her room. He made sure that she was comfortably sleeping in her own bed and then he was ready to leave. But, something made him stay. He did not want to leave yet, because something was pulling him toward her. He just wanted to grant himself a moment where he could be with her and know that he was there to keep her safe.

That feeling gave him reassurance that he was capable of offering her something other than pain and tears, that he was giving her warmth and love. As he towered over her sleeping figure, she started to murmur dreamily.

"Sasuke… kun…" her whispers reminded him of the three words she said back at the club.

'_I love you…_' Her confession replayed in his mind like a gentle lull.

"Sakura," he whispered and leaned close to her face. He kept very still, just staring at her sleeping face that was an inch away from his. Then, he let his lips fall upon the corner of her soft ones, as one single thought floated though his mind.

'_I love you, too._'

He then lifted himself up, cast one more glance in her direction and left.

Once he was downstairs, he realized that the man called Eiichiro was waiting for him outside. Before he even approached him, the man already opened his mouth and addressed him.

"I'll take you home," he simply said. His statement sounded more like an order than a given option. "She's safe now that she's home, so it should be fine," he explained further and already walked toward the big black car, expecting the young man to follow after him.

Sasuke silently complied, not wanting to argue with the man. He did not mind calling himself a taxi, but he was fine with this arrangement, too.

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" the man suddenly asked, surprising Sasuke.

"Hn," he just grunted in response, not feeling very comfortable conversing with the man about his own feelings.

"I can tell, you know," he then said knowingly, his lips tilting in a small smile. After a short pause, he honestly spoke, "It's good that she has someone like you, because Miss Sakura is a really nice person and she deserves to be loved."

Sasuke was silent for a moment, but then he turned toward the man and said, "Aa, I know."

Eiichiro just nodded in return and opened the door for him. The Uchiha entered the car and allowed himself a moment to think over the man's words. He let his thoughts float toward his pink-haired girl and smiled fondly. He felt truly happy at that moment and even if it was just for a short while he let himself enjoy the feeling.

* * *

Deidara triumphantly played with the small gadget he considered as a small price for his relentless efforts. He completed his mission without a flaw and that meant only one thing. It was time for Akatsuki to take their plan to the next level.

His lips lifted in a cunning smile, as he dialed a familiar number. Right after the first ring, there was someone already waiting for his report on the other line.

"Itachi, I have something very valuable, yeah," he spoke through the phone, his voice particularly boastful.

"Bring it at the base," Itachi's cool voice spoke in return. "We're waiting."

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please, leave me a review, because even the smallest of words give me inspiration! Also, your words never cease to make me smile!

_**I have a few questions that concern the future development of the story...**_

_Do you think that there should be a lemon in this story? More importantly... do you want one?_

_Would you like to read a flashback of the last encounter Sakura and Sasuke had before their break up? _


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